[Divyendu Sharma]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

If you feel so strongly about it, why don't you go ahead and challenge it? We Indians prefer to be critical spectators only.

By the way, in this instance, I don't think that the judgement is at all stupid, it is a very logical consequence of how the law stands and all it is doing is ensuring implementing of the law. Drum up support in parliament for changing the law, if you can.

I agree the judgement is not stupid...It says car manufacturer can provide side window glasses with VLT 50 and front and rear window glasses with VLT 70. Manufacturers not making car glasses with this specification is what I believe is stupid....I have to think twice before coming back to India in summers because the memories of my migraine attacks scare me.

[Sawyer]

Almost every car in India has glass that is tinted to some extent now, though the VLT numbers are rarely specified. I suspect that for many, it is 70% everywhere; I don't think any has 50% on the side, as allowed by law.

Maruti Baleno also touts what it call UV cut glass, whatever that means.

I agree that car makers can do more in the area. Far more useful than all the silly chrome bits they attach instead. But that is what customers seem to like.

PS: What is even more stupid is how we adopt auto design slavishly from the sunlight starved West. Sloping close to horizontal front and rear glass is so wrong for our climate and that is the biggest culprit for heat and UV ingress.

[Glessrob]

Unfortunate for people like me who needs Sunfilms for beating the heat while driving. I had bought a new Maruti Suzuki Estilo earlier and there was remarkable difference with and without Sunfilms. Many people in India drive old cars (me included Indigo GLX [2007]) where AC performance is lower than the new cars. In these cases Sunfilms helps us.

Yes I agree that this is side business for Sun-Film companies but still I do not think it was so minuscule they did not have any reason to challenge this decision. Though please note I am speaking from general knowledge here and I may be wrong.

[VW2010]

way, in this instance, I don't think that the judgement is at all stupid

I am more shocked at the way the judgement is implemented. That to me is stupid. Instance if you cover all your five glasses with a cloth and drive you are still excused because you have obeyed the law and removed the sun film.

While someone with clear view of interior having a reflective film is stopped and harassed to remove the same is where i feel the implementation has gone wrong.

The core need for such a judgement should be implemented and there by clearly stopping those who are trying to hide whats inside. But i may be reading the judgement wrong. My assumption and understand till date was to make it visible for both passengers and bystanders.

[Sawyer]

That the judgement is very poorly implemented does not reflect on the SC, it reflects poorly on the rest of us, cops/politicians included. In general, poor implementation, and not following the law unless there is strict implementation is the bane of India. We behave ourselves in Singapore, for instance.

Regardless, two wrongs can't make a right. If they are allowed to, the gates open to complete chaos.

One may not always agree with the courts or claim perfection for just them, but these days it seems to me that judges are the only ones trying to do the right thing.

[nitninja]

i would like to share a experience here.Place where i work is a village and people here mostly are uneducated.The other day i was travelling in my car with family and suddenly from nowhere a splendor emerged. Now the splendor guys started peeping inside the car by overtaking us and slowing down again infront of us.This continued to happen for almost 5 mins and then i gunned my throttle when the roads became free.My wife was asleep, she didnt notice all this happening.Mind you this is not the first experience.

The other day i was travelling with my sister and few guys in their bike started whistling at us and showed some gestures.No tint rule has now made life easier for these romeos and thugs.Its just easier to see the occupants of the car and act accordingly for them.Many such instances have been shared by my friends too. This rule is only making life hell for most of the people!

Apart from curtains, do i have any other option to maintain privacy inside my car ?

[Thad E Ginathom]

While surfing the net for film reviews,, I have noticed that sun film (I think they call it "tints" in USA) is restricted in at least some American states. Maybe it is in some other countries too.

Does anybody have a reference comparing the different laws in different places?

nitninja, OK, so I might feel different if I was female or had a beautiful young wife/daughter/sister*, but I don't think that privacy is sufficient justification for films, because I suspect that, to be dark enough to give privacy, the film must also be dark enough to adversely affect visibility from the inside. Driving safety must [should] be the first consideration.


*OK, there are leerers of, and at, all ages, I'm sure my beautiful 60-year-old wife would be quick to remind me of that if she read my post.

[nitninja]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

While surfing the net for film reviews,, I have noticed that sun film (I think they call it "tints" in USA) is restricted in at least some American states. Maybe it is in some other countries too.

Does anybody have a reference comparing the different laws in different places?

nitninja, OK, so I might feel different if I was female or had a beautiful young wife/daughter/sister*, but I don't think that privacy is sufficient justification for films, because I suspect that, to be dark enough to give privacy, the film must also be dark enough to adversely affect visibility from the inside. Driving safety must [should] be the first consideration.


*OK, there are leerers of, and at, all ages, I'm sure my beautiful 60-year-old wife would be quick to remind me of that if she read my post.

thank you. Its not like i feel different, nobody knows when a person can turn into a devil or rather a robber. morover peeping inside can also be to know what jewels the wife might be wearing too .Im in no way justifying sunfilms but need to know what i can have instead of sunfilms

[Sawyer]

Since one of the stated intentions of the ruling seems to be elimination of that privacy, I am afraid there is nothing you can do that is legal.

Except getting elected to some Indian civic body perhaps.

[GranvilleDsouza]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Since one of the stated intentions of the ruling seems to be elimination of that privacy, I am afraid there is nothing you can do that is legal.

Except getting elected to some Indian civic body perhaps.

I'm seriously thinking of putting one of the flags, logo on the car just for this cause they seem to have some major perks!

[Mortis]

Any updates on the company that was doing a glass coating on the windows to replace films ? There was one in Bangalore. I found one Korean company online but they dont have coatings for automotive use

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by nitninja

... ... ... Im in no way justifying sunfilms but need to know what i can have instead of sunfilms

Me too! Except all I want is to be a little cooler.

A point made in the windscreen-film thread is that, as an illegal modification, sun film could be an excuse for an insurance company not to cover claims. Over all the years I had never considered that, and it is a deal breaker for me.

With alternatives, even if not strictly illegal, maybe an issue could be made of reducing our own visibility.

But it is all academic at the moment, as we don't seem to have any available or accessible alternatives

[Ketan T]

I have never heard of any insurance claim being declined because of the car having a sunfilm. Any instances where a forum member has faced this?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Best I can do is to link to the post on the other thread...

Originally Posted by wrongturn

I had a word with an insurance surveyor regarding sunfilms/ tints on the car. He said that if it's a small claim they generally tend to overlook it, but if it's a big claim (specially if there is a causality) then they may deny the claim as sunfilms are deemed illegal. Thanks to this forum that I stumbled upon the legal aspect of this issue. Now I have dropped the idea of sunfilms totally and would look for alternatives.

[Sawyer]

The unhappy answer to a 40 page thread is: There aren't any, other than what the manufacturer has as OE.

There are however many solutions to prevent heat build up and UV damage in a car parked in the sun, if that cannot be avoided. But for heat build up, by far the most effective is to leave the windows open a little so the hot air can keep getting convected away.