Now that summer has arrived and the heat is rising so is the temperature inside the car during the day. The air conditioner can’t cool it off fast enough. The fact is that the insides of vehicles are much hotter than it is outside. We hear every year that it isn’t safe to leave kids or pets in the vehicles unattended especially with the windows rolled up simply because the temperature can get so hot. How can we lower the temperature on the inside even just a little bit? Window tinting can help this situation out.

There are many reasons to tint your car from protecting against health concerns, safety and privacy reasons, and preserving your investment in your vehicle. The top reasons for tinting your car windows are:

• To avoid overheating, your vehicle’s interior can be 60% cooler during those hot summer days.
• Protecting your skin from harmful UV rays that cause skin cancer, tinting blocks 99% of these rays.
• Accident protection, tinting can help shattered glass hold together protecting the occupants in the car.
• Safer driving, tinting reduces dangerous glare from sun, snow and other headlights.
• Tinting protects your privacy and contents in the car; burglars don’t steal what they can’t see.
• Protecting the interior of the vehicle, UV rays and heat cause upholstery to crack and fade, tinting is like sunscreen for the inside of the car.

While tinting your vehicle windows has wonderful benefits, everyone must be aware of the vehicle laws regarding tinting. There are regulations regarding the percentage of light that must be allowed into the car for different locations of windows. In Arizona, the front side windows must allow more than 33% of light in while the back side windows and the rear window can have any amount of darkness used. And the windshield can only have non-reflective tint along the top of the windshield above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line. The reflective quality of the tint is also stated in Arizona law. Similar to sunglass lenses, some tinting film contains metallic elements that help in reflecting incoming light and reducing the glare and heat generated by visible light. In Arizona the law is the front side windows must not be more than 35% reflective and the back side windows also must not be more than 35% reflective. And finally the color of the tinting is also regulated; the tint color RED AMBER is not legal by AZ state law. Other colors are not listed as regulated or against the law although the state allows medical exemptions for special tinting.

Window tinting has so many benefits to vehicle owners. The safety glass on most new cars and passenger vehicles has been coated or treated so that some degree of window tinting is in place, to keep out harmful UV rays. This tinting is done during the manufacturing process and usually always is in compliance with federal and state window tinting laws and regulations. If your vehicle doesn’t have window tinting, it can be done by a shop specializing in customizing.

The cost of window tinting can vary from $100 at the cheapest little shop to $400 or more at the luxury tint shops. The price depends on the type of vehicle you drive. Tinters know which cars take more time to tint properly. Some cars with steep and curved rear windows like the Volkswagen Beetle or Corvette cost a premium to tint. Tinting an SUV or a station wagon costs more because of the increased square footage that needs tinting. The type of tinting you choose will also affect the price of the job, but remember you get what you pay for so you don’t want to cut too many corners to cheapen it up.

A small investment can save the interior of the car from fading and cracking and it can save us from UV rays. There isn’t a downside to getting window tinting done on your vehicle. Imagine getting in your car for the rest of the summer and it is 60 degrees cooler than it used to be. Your air conditioner will be able to keep up better and your skin will be healthier. Hurry, summer is just beginning and you can enjoy it so much more.

From your friends at Good Works Auto Repair in Mesa and Tempe, stay cool out there!