CHARLOTTE — A North Carolina bill would scrap window-tinting restrictions in the state but require drivers to roll down their windows when an officer approaches.
Walter Marvels owns a limo service. His windows are almost as dark as the car itself, however, North Carolina’s tinting laws don’t apply to limos, Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke reported.
Marvels told Stoogenke his wife has lupus so she’s very sensitive to the sun. North Carolina law has medical exceptions for drivers, too.
“It keeps the sun off of her and the rays off of her, so it protects her from the sun,” Marvels said.
But for the rest of us, the law could be changing, Stoogenke said.
There are two kinds of tint. One comes with the car. You don’t need an inspection for that. But, if you get after-factory tint, you do need an inspection, along with your usual safety inspection for an extra $10.
State Senate Bill 43 would do away with that.
Stoogenke asked Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police President Daniel Redford if he’s worried that will make it more dangerous for law enforcement.
“Obviously with the tinted windows and especially at night, it’s harder to see in vehicles,” he said. “If you’re pulling over a car, especially for something where it’s a high-risk situation, [a] tinted window is just going to impede an officer’s ability to safely see in the vehicle.”
He also points out: “It’s something common that we deal with on a regular basis, so it really wouldn’t be anything new. Officers are trained on how to deal with that.”
Plus, the Senate bill has a provision saying drivers with tinted windows would have to roll down their windows automatically when an officer approaches.
This is still very early in the lawmaking process, Stoogenke said.
The bill is in committee. If it becomes law, it would go into effect next year.
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