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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 23, 2005 Medford police officer Don Lane uses a meter to check the tinting on a car window. This one passed easily, but Medford police say tickets for overtinted windows are becoming common. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Cops watch for illegal tint jobs By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Medford police officer Don Lane won’t hesitate to stop your vehicle if he can’t see the whites of your eyes. Lane, who patrols city streets on a motorcycle, says it’s becoming increasingly common to see cars and trucks with illegally tinted windows. From experience, he knows that if he’s unable to make eye contact with a driver, their windows are probably too dark. "There are so many vehicles out there with (illegally) tinted windows," Lane said. "Most drivers I stop are surprised to find their windows are too dark, and unaware of the requirements. I don’t think they are intentionally out of compliance." A total of 82 citations for illegal window tinting were issued in Medford between June 2004 and June 2005, according to statistics provided by police. "And we’re gearing up to write some more," Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said. Advertisement The police department recently purchased two portable devices that measure how much light transfers through tinted glass. Within seconds, the "Tint Meter Enforcer" tells Lane and other traffic officers if a vehicle’s windows are illegally tinted. State law requires all windows on passenger cars to allow in at least 35 percent of outside light. The law is different for vans, sport-utility vehicles and trucks, which can legally have darker tinting on windows behind the driver and front-passenger seats. Front-side windows and windshields of vehicles on a truck chassis must meet the 35 percent requirement. Drivers whose windows are illegally tinted receive "fix-it" tickets and are cited into Municipal Court. No fine is issued if windows are brought into compliance, police said. "It’s a safety issue," Lane said. "You need to see what’s going on inside (a vehicle) — not just police, but the everyday driver." Lane said he stops vehicles with illegally tinted windows at least once per shift. "It happens every day," he said. Exempt from the law are drivers with a certificate from a physician or optometrist stating darker windows are medically necessary. Lane said most people with tinted windows go to automotive shops to get the work done. Shops are required to provide customers with written proof that tinting requirements are met, but Lane said he rarely finds a motorist in possession of the proof. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Air Purifiers Advertisement s