Car tinting: a summer must-have

Little Darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter

Little Darling, it feels like years since it’s been here

Here comes the sun, doo da doo doo

Here comes the sun, and I say

It’s all right…

Nothing beats starting your day with some good old Beatles, eh? The sun is shining, your day is shining, everything is shining.

What did you just say? It sucks? You want a blizzard, snow, and mountain peaks? How could you say that?

Just kidding. We wholeheartedly agree that there is such a thing as too much sun, especially if you live in the UAE. For that reason, we’re giving you the car tinting in the UAE scoop.

Why car tinting can save your skin (literally…)

There are many benefits to tinting your car, from appearance to security, vehicle longevity, and health. Here are a few:

·         The sun emits UV light which is harmful to your skin. High-quality car tinting eliminates up to 99% of UV light.

·         Car tint lowers cabin temperature, which relieves pressure from the A/C, which in turn relieves pressure from the engine.

·          Car upholstery runs the risk of cracking and unsticking from sunlight exposure. Moreover, colours tend to fade.

·         Tinting enables privacy for passengers and serves as a warning to potential thieves.

·         Tinting gives your car a stylish and refined appearance.

Oops… I broke the law?

You might not be aware of it, but you really should. Car tinting is prohibited in most of the world. The UAE isn’t as strict on that front as it only imposes restrictions on tinting. While there have been a number of changes in the law already, here’s a few things you need to be aware of:

·         In accordance with the Traffic Law, you’re allowed to tint your car to a maximum of 50%. This includes the sum of both factory default and optional tints.

·        You can tint all car windows, except the windshield.

·         The law extends only to light weight private vehicles, not heavy (trucks) or corporate vehicles (taxis). This is also bad news for senior level officers who get a car as a part of their benefits package. The solution for them is to install a clear window tint.

·         Coloured sunscreen is prohibited entirely. Why would anyone want purple tints in the first place? Tha’s trashy AF.

·         The fine for violation depends on how far beyond the 50% you go, but in general, ranges from AED 500 to AED 1000.

The greedy pay twice

A word of caution before you jump into deciding where to tint your car. Don’t skimp on price. Tinting through an unqualified vendor isn’t just a waste of money, but also damages your car.

Poor quality materials blur the vision from your glass and cause damage when removed. As if that alone doesn’t bring you enough grief, cheaper film might lose colour, or bubble, or even interfere with radio frequencies, navigation, and defrosting systems in your car.

If you’re not sure where to tint your car, check out Mikaniki’s page for a list of qualified service providers.