Fall For Improved Vehicle Protection
With the fall season underway, the sun’s trajectory is lower in the sky, so drivers should be extra careful, especially during sunrise and near sunset. That’s when the sun’s intense rays can temporarily blind you, which may lead to a collision.
Fortunately, there can be a solution. According to the nonprofit International Window Film Association (IWFA), professionally installed automotive window film (“auto tint”) may reduce the intensity of glare entering through the side windows of a vehicle.
Flying Glass Protection
In a collision, window film may help protect the driver and passengers from flying glass pellets if the glass is broken. Window film provides a protective layer to help hold glass fragments together and may even help to prevent someone from going through a window in a severe accident.
Skin and Upholstery Protection
Window films reduce by up to 99 percent the sun’s harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays, which are a leading cause of skin and eye damage. Over time, unprotected sun exposure in a vehicle may increase the incidence of skin cancers and eye cataracts. Not only may window film help protect the skin and eyes from UV rays, it may also extend the lifespan of a vehicle’s interior. It does this by reducing the sun’s detrimental impact on trims, plastic moldings and upholstery.
Theft Protection
When an item of value is easily spotted in a car, the temptation to smash a window and grab the item is greater for would-be thieves. A potential burglar may be delayed in gaining easy access to your car’s interior by smashing a window, as window film may help to hold the glass in place.
Legal Protection
How dark a window film can legally be installed on a vehicle’s windows may differ based on where you live. Window films are rated for how much light is able to pass through them. This factor is known as Visible Light Transmission (called VLT), and many jurisdictions have limits on the level of VLT allowed for automotive glass. To learn more about what’s allowed, visit the IWFA’s interactive “Tint Laws” webpage.
