HD29 - Sunscreening Material on Motor Vehicles

  • Published: 1989
  • Author: Department of State Police and Department of Motor Vehicles
  • Enabling Authority: House Joint Resolution 123 (Regular Session, 1988)

Executive Summary:
Charge to the Departments

House Joint Resolution No. 123, agreed to during the 1988 Session of the General Assembly, requested the Departments of State Police and Motor Vehicles to conduct a study on the use of window tinting on motor vehicles. The joint resolution requested these Departments to

1. Examine the use of window tinting on motor vehicles.

2. Examine the use of window tinting to conceal unlawful activities within motor vehicles.

3. Examine what changes, if any, should be made to Virginia law.

Introduction and Overview

Modern passenger car designs have tended to utilize large glazing areas. Aerodynamic design requires glazing to be obliquely mounted, which has led to statements of discomfort by vehicle occupants because of excessive exposure to sunlight. In turn, this has resulted in moderately widespread use of dark tinted, after-market sunshading materials on the windows of motor vehicles. Because of concerns over both driver visibility and the possible use of sunshading materials to conceal contraband and illegal activities, this study addresses both highway safety and law enforcement concerns.

The Commonwealth of Virginia first adopted standards for safety glazing for use in motor vehicles around 1938. In compliance with Section 46.1-293(b) of the Code of Virginia, the Superintendent of State Police elected to adopt the American National Standard Code Z 26.1 for safety glazing material for motor vehicles operating on land highways. The fundamental purpose of the Code 1s to prescribe the functional properties of safety glazing materials in such a manner that they can be used in any place in the motor vehicle for which they possess those mechanical or optical properties, or both which are requisite and appropriate. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adopted American National Standard Code Z 26.1 for safety glazing for use in motor vehicles, thus, the Virginia standard for safety glazing used In motor vehicles and the Federal standard are one and the same.

The purpose of the Virginia standard is to reduce injuries resulting from impact to glazing surfaces, to ensure a necessary degree of transparency in motor vehicle windows for driver visibility, and to minimize the possibility of occupants being thrown through the vehicle windows in collisions. The luminous transmittance requirements for windows requisite for driver visibility is a minimum of 70 percent. To date, the American National Standards Institute, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Society of Automotive Engineers have deemed it appropriate to set the luminous transmittance requirement at less than 70 percent for any windows requisite for driver visibility.