At First Response Glass we can handle just about all of your auto glass needs. Although we don’t provide window tinting in Victoria BC, we get asked a lot about the rules and regulations. Now tinting your Victoria vehicle’s front windows may make you feel in style and provide some relief from the sun. But you will be taking a risk when you get on BC roads: you could get fined $109 if you get caught by the police.
They will also give you a warrant to get the tint removed, and if you do not comply you could later receive a $595 fine. On top of that, you could also have your vehicle immediately taken off the road and be required to have an inspection completed at your expense to get it back. It’s a big risk to take, so we at First Response Glass are here today to give you the details of windshield tint laws in BC.
First of all, tinting your front driver and passenger side windows is completely illegal in BC. Tinted front windows are a safety concern to you and other road users. Especially when it is dark out, you will be less able to make eye contact with others on the road–which is never a positive thing, but is particularly bad if you find yourself in a bad situation on a stormy night. Tinted windows can also prevent you from being able to make a quick escape from your vehicle after a collision, as the solar film used for tinting will disallow your front windows from breaking into tiny pieces. Firefighters will not be able to use their shatter tool to get you safe.
If you have just bought a new vehicle, you should know that the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act regulates how much tinting the front windows of new vehicles may have: 70% of light must be able to pass through the glass in these windows. So if you do notice a bit of a tint on your new vehicle’s front windows, you don’t have to worry about it.
But what about tinting your other windows? Any windows beside the front and passenger side windows are fine to be tinted. It is your responsibility to ensure your windows are tinted only legally. When you want to get legal tinting completed or tinting that does not meet BC’s laws removed, give us a call and we can recommend a business in town that will.
