Letter of the Day | We need to get serious about tinted vehicles

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I have sat and listened to some of the most terrifying experiences of women of varying ages being kidnapped, raped, and brutalised. This has made me more vigilant and has also deterred me from doing necessary business if I have to travel alone. On a few occasions when the risk was taken to travel on my own, I would carefully scrutinise the vehicle, the passengers, and the driver before entering. On one occasion the only licensed and registered taxi operator (red plate) windows were very tinted. The windshield had only a few centimetres open that allowed the driver to see the road. Inside the vehicle was dark as a movie theatre and had more fear and tension than watching the scariest movie. I had no weapon but prayer. So many neighbouring vehicles, but if I beckoned for help maybe even the person behind me wouldn’t realise. Worst, a next vehicle.

When will tinted vehicles be illegal in Jamaica? In March 2021, Haiti our neighbouring country placed a ban on tinted vehicles with the aim that this would curtail the rate of kidnapping. In India, from 2012 a permanent ban was placed on tinted vehicles because it was proven that most crimes took place in cars that had heavily tinted windows. Tinted vehicles also decrease visibility for drivers and increase the chances of road accidents and fatalities. These vehicles allow criminals to move about without being detected by law enforcement officers and the general public. Many persons use sun-filmed windows to create a level of privacy, and this is understandable. In private vehicles, a specific concentration of tint can be acceptable. In The Bahamas, 40% of non-reflective tints are allowed, which allows for 70 per cent of light transmission. These windows are also used to block UV light. However, there are safer alternatives such as clear films and manufactured fitted films.

While I hear the disadvantages of legalising pepper spray, I would like to know that the Government of Jamaica is doing more than sending around flyers and having forums and presentations to protect the women of Jamaica. Some amount of restrictions have to be placed on tinted windows.

MAHALIA LAWES