Should You Tint Your Headlights Or Not?

When you install car headlight tints, it gives your car a somewhat exclusive appearance, and what is more, you spend very little in achieving this aesthetics that will make your car stand out among many others too. Furthermore, the tint comes provided in either rolls or pre-cut flat sheets designed according to the model of each specific car, which is also easy to apply as well. However, what is the accepted regulation on the use of headlight tints?

Agreed, headlight tints can protect your vehicle lights from damage, scratches, chips, or even flying debris on the road. It also lessens the possibility of your lights becoming yellowish, dirty, or toneless due to dirt and sunlight rays However, is this a good choice to make for your vehicle? Tinting may be legal in your region and it may be fine to do so, but you should be mindful of certain things. In the rest of this post, I will be providing answers to common questions about tinting headlights, whether it is a good idea, whether it is legal and things you should keep in mind about tinting.

Is it okay to put tints on your headlights?

Yes, you can tint your headlights, however, the strength or depth of tinting can affect your visibility while driving. In any case, lighter or subtle tints produce a very little noticeable effect on the strength or brightness of your headlights. A fact which contradicts what happens if you have a darker tint on the headlights. Therefore, if you must tint your headlights, always make sure that you apply only the lighter ones, for the sake of visibility and safety, especially when driving at night or in poor weather conditions.

Furthermore, before you go ahead and apply any tint on your headlights, be sure to find out what is the stand of local traffic regulations on the matter, lest you fail foul of local traffic laws with attendant consequences.

Is tinting headlights legal?

Whether using headlight tints is legal or not depends on the traffic laws in the place you are. In addition, even places that allow the use of headlight tints are clear on one condition; the tints must not be so dark as to cause any impairment in your visibility while driving, but mostly darker tints are not permitted.

Expectedly, there are still places where the use of headlight tints is completely prohibited. For instance, many states in the US have laws in place that prohibit headlight glass tinting, although some are a little bit more tolerant than others, who declare that headlight tints must be either white or yellow, while the rear lights must always be red. This implies that all other colours, such as blue, are illegal. And even where their use is allowed, you should not tint so deeply that more than about 50 percent of your visibility will be lost.

What is the general law on headlight tinting?

The laws on tinting vary from place to place. First, in some places, the application of light tinting of specific colours is allowed, whereas, in others, their use is prohibited altogether. For example, in many states in the US and almost the whole of Canada, tinting of the vehicle’s headlight is outrightly against the law, and violators are liable to punishments, which may include expensive fines.

Therefore, an acceptable answer to the question on the general law of tinting headlights depends on the local traffic regulations of the place you live or visit. You will do well to ask the authorities concerned about the issue.

How dark can you tiny your headlights if it is legal?

Yes, how dark you tint your headlights is important even in places where that is allowed. Having said that, the consensus is that you must not tint your headlights such that more than about half the brightness of your headlight, or 50 percent, is reduced.

Does tinting headlights reduce light?

Certainly, tinting your headlights will reduce their brightness, and as a result, will also diminish your visibility on the road too. This is more so when you apply darker tints to the headlights as against lighter ones.

Can you use tinted headlights at night?

Yes, you can use tinted headlights at night, but there is a snag to doing so. One, the tints you use at night must not be so dark as to significantly compromise your safety through severe visibility impairment.

Two, if the tint on your headlight is a dark one, you are simply not advised to drive with it at night, especially when your safety, and the safety of others on the road, cannot be guaranteed.

Better still, it is also strongly recommended that you find out what is the stand of the law on driving with tinted headlights at night, or else you fall foul of the law.

How can you make tinted headlights brighter?

There are two or three approaches to this issue. One, if you wish to make your tinted headlights brighter, you should wash them up using recommended cleaning agents that will remove any dirt or grime which may dull them. This can be done easily with common and cheap cleaning agents such as headlight restoration kits, but be sure to wipe off the fluid thoroughly dry after cleaning such, that no traces of moisture or any fluid will be left on them.

Two, you can brighten up your tinted headlights by doing the following also:

1. Make sure that you upgrade your light bulbs to the LED (Light Emitting Diodes) types, which are a lot brighter than the conventional bulbs.
2. You can also upgrade your bulbs to the HID type too.
3. You also have the option of using premium halogen bulbs.
4. Again, your tinted headlights can be brightened if you retrofit both your headlights and fog lights as well.

Finally, if you must brighten up your headlights, you also have the option of removing the tint altogether. Luckily, there are very simple and cheap ways you can get that done.

All in all, whenever your headlights are not bright enough due to dirt on their surfaces, the most acceptable remedy is to get them cleaned up thoroughly with common household cleaning agents, after consultation with the user manual as to whether their use is safe or not.

What should you use to tint your headlights safely?

There are quite a few items you need to tint your headlights safely if the law permits doing so. Some of these items are:

Tools and equipment.

• A heat gun.
• A sharp razor blade.
• Rapid clear tapes.
• Rapid Tac, a special mixture of soap and water.
• Absorber liquid duster.
• Finally, you need the roll of tint itself.

Just follow the below DIY tutorial to get the vehicle headlight tint done yourself when you have confirmed that it is legal to do in your region and you have agreed that it is something you want to do.

Can you remove a tint you no longer need?

Yes, you can very easily remove any headlight tint you no longer require on the vehicle with the aid of common household items. There are different ways through which you can easily remove headlight tints safely. First, apply heat to melt the adhesive or you can even peel off the layer of tint with the use of ammonia or soapy water. To do this, you should first apply bug spray on your headlights, which will eliminate both yellowing and cloudiness. Lots of people prefer to use DEET, a very potent chemical that can easily peel off any cloudy layer, thereby leaving your headlights brighter than ever.

You can also clean headlight tints off every so often with a sharp blade by just dragging it over the top such that you can even see the adhesive that is stuck to the glass.

Conclusion

Headlight tints no doubt add beauty and value to your car. They also make it stand in a sharp contrast among other vehicles. However, there is a downside to all these. First, they reduce your visibility of the road, and second, if their use is not permitted, you can easily contravene the law with severe repercussions. Luckily, they can be easily taken off when not needed much as you can easily apply them too.

Although many places do not permit the use of tinted headlights, all the same, should you live where their use is permitted, be sure to use the lighter tints, just in case. After all, the lighter the tints, the safer it is for you and other people on the road. Learn how you can take them off when they are no longer needed, but before you venture into anything, find out from the user manual or any specialists on the matter around you with regards to whether it is safe or not. This is because headlights are made of either glass or plastic, and some cleaning or removal agents which are safe with glass may not be safe with plastics.