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The Police are targeting tinted windows

The Daily Herald is reporting that many suburban police departments are cracking down on tinted windows.

I have always had a problem with the Illinois tinted window statute, which I think is unconstitutional.  The problem is that a car manufacturer or seller can legally put the tint on the car in another state, and then a driver gets pulled over as he or she passes through Illinois.  This, to me, is in violation of the interstate commerce clause of the United States Constitution.

Some tint is allowed, but generally not in the front windows.  According to the article:

The amount of tint allowed on a vehicle’s front windows depends on the darkness of its back windows. The darker the back windows, the lighter the front windows must be in order to retain visibility, Aurora’s Coronado said.

If a car’s back windows have tint installed by the manufacturer or later that allows less than 30 percent of light through, then at least 50 percent of light must be able to shine through its front windows.

If a car’s back windows allow more than 35 percent of light through, its front windows can be tinted more darkly, up to 65 percent.

However, in the meantime and until the statute is found unconstitutional, driving with tint is an open invitation to be pulled over by the police, and have them check on the status of your license and insurance, and to make sure that you aren’t intoxicated, high, or have any illicit item sitting around inside your car.

So, just remember, if you don’t want to remove your tinted windows, you better make sure that everything else is on the up and up.  And be prepared to pay way too much in fines each time you are ticketed.