Window Tint Laws in Florida

Window tint can save money by improving your gas mileage. That’s because gas mileage goes down when you run the air conditioner, and window tint lowers your vehicle temperature by blocking ultraviolet and visible light rays. Thus, you might be able to drive comfortably without air conditioning during sunny months.

But window tint can also affect your ability to drive safely. It is classified as a view obstruction. And view obstructions, which also include things like trees and glare, cause about 6,000 car accidents in the U.S. every year.

If you were injured in a car crash in Miami, FL, Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help. Our Miami car accident attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience, and we’ll use it to obtain fair compensation for you. Contact our law office today to schedule a free initial consultation to learn more.

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How Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in Miami, FL

Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers was founded over 15 years ago to serve accident victims in Miami, Florida. The firm’s lawyers include a board-certified civil trial lawyer. Altogether, we have over a century of experience helping injured clients.

If you suffer an injury, our Miami car accident lawyers can help by providing:

A free consultation so you understand the process for pursuing compensation
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Our experienced and knowledgeable legal team will stand up to at-fault parties and their insurers if you sustain injuries in a collision. Contact Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your accident and how you can seek compensation for your damages.

Can Window Tint Cause Car Accidents?

Window tint can cause car accidents. Dark window tints have the potential to obstruct a driver’s view, especially at dawn, dusk, and night and during rainstorms.

View obstructions are responsible for about 0.2% of crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). They found the most common cause of crashes to be driver error, responsible for 94% of traffic accidents.

But window tint can also reduce accidents. Glare causes about 0.3% of car accidents, or roughly 50% more than view obstructions. In theory, window tint can prevent more crashes than it causes because darkened windows reduce glare from sunlight and headlights.

Florida’s Windshield and Window Tint Laws

Every state has a law that controls the darkness and reflectivity of window tint. Three states, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New Jersey, prohibit tint on vehicle side windows. The remaining states, including Florida, allow tint on the front and rear side windows, rear windows, and the upper margin of the windshield.

These regulations use two measurements to determine the legal level of tinting. The first measurement, visible light transmission (VLT), refers to how much light passes through the tinted window.

A higher VLT means more light passes through. An untinted window will have 100% transmissivity, while privacy tint might allow as little as 15% of light to pass. Tint with a lower VLT is more likely to obstruct a driver’s view because less light reaches their eyes.

The second measurement, reflectivity, determines how much light the tinted window reflects. Highly reflective window tints can look like a mirror. Not only do these tints reduce the amount of light that enters the vehicle, but they also limit the view into the vehicle from the outside.

Thus, reflectivity works in the opposite direction of VLT. Tint with 35% reflectivity allows less light to reach the driver’s eyes than tint with 20% reflectivity. But tint with higher reflectivity creates more glare for other drivers because of the mirror-like surface.

Florida’s Tint Laws

Florida has several window tint laws. If a driver knows or should know their tint is too dark for safe driving, you can hold them liable for a crash they cause. Window tint laws in Florida apply to the:

Front Windshield

No tint can be on the front windshield except for a strip at the top margin. The width of the front tint must not extend below the AS-1 line. Automobile manufacturers mark the AS-1 line to tell tint installers where they can place tint. This line typically runs five inches below the top of the windshield. But the location can vary depending on the model.

Front Side Windows

Florida divides the side windows into those in front of or adjacent to the driver. In most passenger vehicles, this Florida tint law applies to the driver and front passenger side windows. Under Florida law, these windows must have 28% or higher VLT and 25% or lower reflectivity.

Rear Side Windows and Rear Windshield

The rear side windows refer to any window behind the driver. In a passenger car, this means the windows for the rear seat. In a van or SUV, that term could include several sets of side windows for the rear seats and cargo area.

According to Florida’s tint laws, the rear side windows and rear windshield must have 15% or higher VLT and 35% or lower reflectivity. In other words, rear-tinted windows can be darker and more reflective than front-tinted windows.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Miami Car Accident Lawyers If You Were Injured in a Crash

You may have the right to pursue compensation if you get hit by someone with a tint that violates Florida law. Contact Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your crash and the right you may have to fair injury compensation.

Common Miami Car Accident Claims We Handle

Our law firm handles all types of car accident claims involving: