Car windshield tint

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awptickes

unimpressed by you
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I have a few eye issues that my doctor sought fit to give me a letter stating that I have extreme light sensitivity and should be exempted from the window tint regulations. I brought this letter to the MVA, and they said "keep it in the car, if you get pulled over, we don't do anything with it."

Today I was driving on 95, after passing a stopped radar car, I took a picture of an 'unmarked' MSP car speeding along (pushing traffic to flow over the speed limit) because I hadn't seen a MSP charger with external lights, I disagree with this practice, and I like to post these pictures to facebook later in the day to let folks know what cars to watch. Almost 5 seconds later, he hit the brakes and flipped his lights on. So I figured I was getting a speeding ticket. Oh well, I'll pay it.

He came up to the car, and informed me that I was pulled over for windshield tint. I was baffled. I told the officer "I have the letter from my eye doctor right here--" and he cut me off and said "Why, because you can't wear sunglasses?" I was wearing sunglasses. I responded by saying "No sir, I have extremely sensitive and light colored eyes." I offered the letter holding it in my hand with my license and registration, but he said it wasn't correct, "the law is the law." He took my license and registration and went back to run it.

He came back with a ticket book, and told me he was writing a repair order, and it wasn't a ticket. He apologized for taking so long, he said it took a long time for my info to come back. He explained the process of the repair order, and told me that I should go back to my doctor and get them to properly do the medical exemption. He was very courteous, and I have no issues with the way this was handled by the officer.

When I received the letter from the doctor initially, I took it to the Bel Air MVA, and they told me that they didn't do anything with it. The MSP officer today didn't want anything to do with the letter. The motor vehicle code states that exemptions are possible.

The question is what is the process to get a proper medical exemption in MD?
 
You have your wind shield tinted and you wear sunglasses at the same time?
 
You have your wind shield tinted and you wear sunglasses at the same time?
Yes, polarized glasses.

He HAS SPECIAL EYES!

Glad that the cop wasn't a douche to you awptickes

Yeah, I was expecting him to be a jackass. I was pleasant, explained the issue, offered the letter, and he took care of everything as he needed to. It helped that I was on my way to work, during commuting hours, and I dress with everything short of a tie.
 
I had a similar good cop experience lately. Leaving work there is this fun two lanee, semi hairpin turn freeway onramp that I enjoy taking at a faster than average rate of speed, its nice because there are two lanes and you can pass someone that is grandma'ing it onto the freeway. Well I was following a green, fishbowl charger, unmarked mind you, driven by an older looking plain clothed gentleman (could be your grandpa). And he was poking around the corner, so I was like fuck it, I like this corner. So I signaled and passed him on the outside. Lo and behold, shortly after passing him, he flipped his lights on and pulled me over. (There is no freeway entrance speed limit posted there). Anyways, he comes up to my window and is polite and asks why I'm in a hurry. I tell him, I'm on my way home from work and I am used to people not accelerating up to speed for freeway. He explains that he was in fact not going that slowly, but says hold on, license and reg. please. He goes back to his car and runs me, comes back and says Merry early Christmas, I'm giving you a warning today and btw how come you have a radar detector if you don't usually speed? So then I told him it was because it usually reminds me to keep my speed legal, then he chuckled and said sure if you say so and went back to his car.

Sorry for the wall of text, I'm on my phone currently.
 
Yes, polarized glasses.



Yeah, I was expecting him to be a jackass. I was pleasant, explained the issue, offered the letter, and he took care of everything as he needed to. It helped that I was on my way to work, during commuting hours, and I dress with everything short of a tie.
I'm gussing the exemption would be probably achieved with a document from the "Powers that BE" that asserts, ties with and ammends the original letter from your doctor to be proper giving you an actual exemption. Not necessarily word of mouth that you should keep the letter in your glove box in case.


On the eye issue....

Sounds like you're going to have some serious light transmission issues and will have much lower visibility, especially at night because of the tint on the windshield. I know I can't see shit out of my side windows at night when there is low light when turning. Wouldn't it benefit to wear a higher prescription sunglass with the same light transmission percentage during the day than tinting the windshield?

I too have similar issues with pale eyes, stigmatism etc. Serious light sensistivity, fogginess, etc.
 
Sounds like you're going to have some serious light transmission issues and will have much lower visibility, especially at night because of the tint on the windshield. I know I can't see shit out of my side windows at night when there is low light when turning. Wouldn't it benefit to wear a higher prescription sunglass with the same light transmission percentage during the day than tinting the windshield?

I too have similar issues with pale eyes, stigmatism etc. Serious light sensistivity, fogginess, etc.

I wear prescription sunglasses already, but the problem is when I have to drive into the sun, and when I'm on a two-lane road and the oncoming traffic's lights dazzle me.

The windshield is 50% VLT, and is actually less than recommended by the first doc.

so you have the whole windshield tinted or just the top?

Whole thing, to 50% VLT. I've never had any issues, even driving around in PA, DC, VA, WV, DE, NJ, NJ, MA, CT, NYC, etc. I just took the picture of him, and he saw how dark it was. Normally folks don't notice unless they look.

He was extremely professional and nice. Didn't act like a jackass or anything. If I saw him in a bar, he'd probably be someone I'd talk to and/or buy a drink.
 
Oh, by the way, I have the same eye issues.

Due to brain trauma (Not joking here, stop giggling) my eyes / brain refresh at a different rate. Light comes in, and my iris' can't adapt. I don't own a flashlight.

Remember the 5% tint on my Civic ? I used to wear sunglasses in there all the time too. Now, since I got busted in Fairfield CT (The wagon had 5% on it too) and the police / DMV rejected my doctor's note - I have found that wearing both sunglasses (A prescription) and goggles does the trick.

I don't leave the house without them.
racing-motorcycle-goggles-2.jpg


Of course, being steampunk, I have an assortment of goggles.
 
Window tint regulations are not for your safety. They are to limit your right to privacy in your motor vehicle. If it was for safety, they would have similar tint restrictions on driving glasses and rules against driving with sunglasses at night.
 
I went to a trooper barracks last night, showed them my doctor's note, and they told me that windshield tint is a federal law, and they can't give an exemption for that.

Section 22-406 - Safety glazing material in motor vehicles. :: 2010 Maryland Code :: US Codes and Statutes :: US Law :: Justia

That's the only part I can find prohibiting windshield tint is here: (and it's only state law)
§ 22-406. Safety glazing material in motor vehicles. said:
(4) (i) A person who must be protected from the sun for medical reasons is exempt from the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection if the owner has, in the vehicle at the time the vehicle is stopped by a police officer, a written certification that details the owner's medical need for tinted windows, from a physician licensed to practice medicine in the State.

(ii) This subsection does not apply to tinting materials that:

1. Are affixed in such a manner so as to be easily removed; and

2. Are being used to protect a child less than 10 years of age from the sun.

(iii) Nothing in this subsection may be construed to:

1. Allow any tinting materials to be added to the windshield of a vehicle below the AS1 line or below 5 inches from the top of the windshield; or

2. Alter or restrict the authority of the Administrator to adopt regulations regarding vehicle windows, except with respect to the light transmittance requirements specified in this section.

Applicable parts emboldened.

The only mention in the FMVSS is the standard "AS-1" which requires 70% light transmittance, but that's for newly manufactured vehicles, and only applies to manufacturers.

Am I reading this correctly?
 
i think you're reading it wrong, or wrong definition
i think the A S1 line refers to the actual marking on the windshield
so you cannot have any tint below the AS1 line, or below 5"
so the state law allows for medical conditions but does not allow a fully tinted windshield even with a medical condition
going to the cops to interpret a law is about useless in my experience
they usually just say nope, its illegal, and can never provide additional sources or backup.

17187d1270582200t-as1-line-where-as1.jpg

http://www.355nation.net/forum/attachments/exterior/17187d1270582200-as1-line-where-as1.jpg
 
Ok. I guess I go back to having crippling migraines regularly.

Sucks to be me.
 
just print off the first section of the code, cops generally don't know the laws well enough
maybe leave off the subsection and paragraph numbers to make it harder for them to find section iii

it sounds like its taken you awhile to get pulled over so why not just let it ride?
 
No, you're reading the law correctly. It's not fair. I don't follow it. I'm a scofflaw.

And when I drive, I hawk-eye police like I stole my own car and have a dead hooker on the hood.
 
It took one year and 26 days to get pulled over for it. I want to get legal tint on the windshield, but it looks like MD won't allow it. :( Oh well.

At the tint place last night, the owner said that I should get something lighter than 50% this time, like 60% or 70%.
 
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