DUE to global warming, summer temperatures in many countries, including Pakistan, have risen sharply over the years, and the trend is continuing. The use of tinted car window glasses of certain specifications is now legal in many countries, especially those with hot and humid climate.

Even the Middle Eastern countries where the traffic laws are quite strict have allowed the use of tinted glasses lately as they provide protection against the hot weather. In Pakistan, although the use of tinted glasses is not allowed legally, the facility is enjoyed by the elite and influential segments of society because, first, they consider themselves above the law, and, second, the law-enforcement agencies, especially the traffic police, reinforce their belief that they are above the law.

As a result, ‘ordinary’ citizens using tinted glasses are stopped on the roads and penalised, while vehicles belonging to politicians, government and police officials as well as the influential people continue to move around freely with tinted glasses.

It is thus apparent that merely banning the use of tinted glasses without enforcing the law across the board is not the solution to the problem. Besides, there are a number of benefits of tinted glasses, the foremost of which is energy conservation. The air-conditioning systems of cars with tinted glasses operate more efficiently and consume less fuel.

Tinted glasses also protect the cars’ occupants form the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun that may cause skin ailments. They also provide a certain level of privacy to the motorists, which is critical in these days with rampant street crimes across the country, especially in large cities.

The government should consider allowing the use of a standard specification of tinted glasses on private cars in the country. These standard specifications should be included in the motor vehicles ordinances of the respective provinces, and there may also be government-approved vendors to supply the specified tinted material.

The benefits of having tinted glasses on car windows outweigh the risks, and it is high time the government revisited the unnecessary decades-old ban on their use.

Aamir Malik
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2022