Police couldn’t see ‘through tinted windows’, charge SUV driver in Oakville

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By Gene Pereira

May 17, 2023 at 5:32 pm

The sunny weather has arrived and Oakville drivers with tinted windows best be sure they are legal.

Halton Regional Police Cst. Marc Taraso was busy Wednesday (May 17) getting a truck into the inspection lane when he noticed a white SUV stopped waiting.

Immediately something stood out to Taraso.

“What I couldn’t see was the driver,” he explained in a post on Twitter of trying to look through the SUV’s windows.

Taraso posted front and side pictures of the vehicle on Twitter to show the public what he was talking about

“Any wonder why?,” said Taraso, of the pictures showing only dark glass and no one inside visible.

He then pulled over the vehicle and took out a tint meter to gather the readings on the shade of the tint on the SUV’s windows.

“Only 28 per cent of light entering through the windshield and 00 per cent through both the front side windows,” said Taraso, who charged the driver colour coating obscurring interior.

Had to stop traffic to get a truck into the inspection lane. Saw this SUV now stopped waiting. What I couldn’t see was the driver. Any wonder why? Only 28% of light entering through windshield and 00% through both front side windows. #Charged #CanadaRoadSafetyWeek pic.twitter.com/8l1iYn2itw

— Cst. Marc Taraso (@CstTaraso9345) May 16, 2023

The set fine for the charge is $85, with the total payable $110. The driver loses no demerit points.

“No person shall drive on a highway a motor vehicle on which the surface of the windshield or of any window to the direct left or right of the driver’s seat has been coated with any coloured spray or other coloured or reflective material that substantially obscures the interior of the motor vehicle when viewed from outside the motor vehicle,” reads the charge.

Taraso’s post of the incident drew plenty of responses on Twitter.

“Good to know that their privacy matters more than anyone’s life,” read one response. “Thanks for noticing and your quick response or reaction, officer.”