‘30% VLT is dark enough’

 

PETALING JAYA: Allowing fully darkened rear windows is no doubt welcomed, considering the year-long hot weather in Malaysia.However, it is not advisable to go all dark for the rear windshield as it will affect the driver’s rear view visibility.

Malaysian Automotive Access­ories Traders’ Association president Lim Bee Choo said the previously allowed 30% Visible Light Trans­mission (VLT) for rear windshield was already “dark enough”, and a below 30% VLT reading would affect visibility on the road.

“If the rear windscreen is fully darkened, what the driver sees through the rear view mirror will also be darkened.

“It may be okay during the day, but it will be a safety concern at night when the driver has poor visibility due to the dark windscreen.

“This has been proven by research conducted by the Malay­sian Institute of Road Safety Res­earch (Miros) throughout the years.

“We welcome the ministry’s move to allow fully dark rear passenger windows.

“But we are concerned about road safety if the rear windscreen is allowed to go all dark,” she said.

Based on feedback from its more than 600 members nationwide, Lim said many of them regretted installing overly dark tint on their rear windscreens.

“Many opted to have darker tints because it looked cool on their cars.

“However, they realised how difficult it was to see the road clearly, especially when driving at night or in the rain, and then decided to remove their tint,” she said, adding that darker tint did not mean greater heat-reflecting capability.

Pointing out that most imported cars came with laminated windows with 18% to 25% VLT on their rear windscreens, Lim said there was less necessity to increase heat-cutting capability without raising road safety concern.

“If drivers insist on going all dark, they should install a better sensor or camera to avoid posing a danger on the road,” she said, adding that the association hopes to meet up with Transport Minister Anthony Loke to discuss related issues, especially on the MS2669-2017 tint films standard set by the Department of Standards.

Malaysia’s first regulations on vehicle windows tinting was set 28 years ago with the introduction of the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Certain Types of Glass) Rules 1991.

Prior to that, the law for window tinting was generally based around the Motor Vehicle Rules (Cons­truction and Use) 1959, which only stated that vehicles must not be dangerous to road users, who are either in the vehicles or on the road.

In 2016, the rules governing how much light is allowed to pass through the car tint were changed and replaced under the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Certain Types of Glass) (Amendment) Rules 2016.

National Road Safety Council member Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the new ruling was “appropriate in line with the climate condition” in the country.

“For security concerns, I believe the ministry has taken into account the views of the public to allow for this new ruling.

“It is a welcome move for many drivers,” he said, adding that a driver’s road visibility must be at optimal level at all times to ensure safety.

Chine Wai Tong, 46, said he did not fancy “super dark tints” which could hamper road visibility.

“For me, it is good enough as long as I can keep away the heat from the sun,” said the business development manager from Kuala Lumpur.

However, Chine said he would consider getting darker tints for his rear passenger windows to prevent crime.

Albert Lee, 45, who operates a car accessories and audio parts outlet in Taman Merdeka, Melaka for the past 17 years, said he expected business to pick up following the new ruling, as many of his customers prefer darker tints.

“Most Malaysians do not want their backseat passengers, especially the elderly and children, to feel the heat while travelling.

“Drivers with SUVs, MPVs and vans will likely welcome the new ruling the most as darker tints allow for more heat reflection and also theft prevention,” he added.