RCMP Traffic Services are advising motorists to remove after-market tint from their vehicle or face a possible fine, which includes 2 demerit points. Police can also request a vehicle with applied after-market tint undergo a mandatory motor vehicle inspection.
Traffic Services are concerned over the number of vehicles they are stopping across the province with after-market tint applied to the front side windows. With distracted driving and seatbelt compliance being two of several areas being targeted on the highway during road safety patrols, tinted windows are hampering the ability of police to observe drivers who are in non-compliance with the law. Police are not able to see through front side windows to ensure drivers are wearing their seatbelt and are not using cell phones or texting while driving.
There are a number of other safety issues associated with after-market tinted windows. Children and other pedestrians are unable to make eye contact with drivers at crosswalks to ensure it is safe to cross the road. The other reality is that concerned citizens reporting an erratically driven vehicle have to be able to testify in court and confirm the identity of a driver committing a driving infraction.