VLT of solar tint windshield?

Ls400

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 27, 2018
Messages
276
I always wondered why my windshield had a slight green-ish hue in the sun, and I think it is a little "darker" than other windshields. I looked in the corner of the windshield and it's an aftermarket windshield that has the words "solar tint" on it.

So I understand that the windshield has been treated to reject some IR light, but what about visible light? What's the penalty in VLT?

You'd think the answer would be all over Google, but I can't find anything about factory-tinted windshields. I can only find some information about aftermarket tint films. I've tried searching for information on "solar tint," "solar glass," "solar windshields," "ir rejecting windshields," "ir glass," all the above.

I can't help but wonder how much replacing the windshield with a non-tinted windshield would help with seeing at night. I can already see fairly well at night with the new headlamps and performance bulbs...but can't help but wonder what's being left on the table! Besides, there's a crack in the windshield, so it's needing to be replaced sometime anyway.
 

-Virgil-

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
7,802
The UN Regulation (43) says windshield light transmissivity has to be minimum 70% throughout the area where the driver looks. The North American regs and standards are a real mess to navigate (and they've run me out of patience), but it's a reasonable assumption they're similar on this point; a huge amount of auto glass meets all worldwide standards. One of the required markings for the American regs is a line with a downward arrow below it and the letters "AS-1" nearby, near the left and right edges of the windsield, at the height of the top of the driver-vision region of the glass. Above that AS-1 line there may be tints and opaque appliques and obstructions.

Window tint does significantly reduce the amount of light reaching the driver's eyes, and therefore reduces the driver's ability to see. There have been countries and times where tinted windshields (or tinted glass of any kind) was not permitted in automobiles. One such country was Australia for many years -- a very hot and sunny country, but they felt the safety benefits of maximum seeing with clear glass outweighed the comfort benefits with tinted glass. I don't know when or how that ban was lifted.

The question is kind of moot, because there is no such thing as a non-tinted windshield for most cars. At most, on some older cars, you would have the option for with or without the darker blue-green band at the top.

So instead, focus on getting a quality windshield free of optical distortion. Original-brand glass is best; aftermarket quality is variable and often low. Fortunately the industry in CHina (where most of it comes from now) has really upped its game over the last 10-15 years, if you get the product from the more reputable Chinese brands like FYG.
 
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