If your vehicle is heavily tinted as of December 1st that could land you in jail. Hard to believe but it is true. As we reported last night, Cabinet has approved a statutory instrument which will prohibit the use of vehicles with heavy tint. Transport Minister Jose Coye has already signed that SI and it goes into effect on December 1st. So what's behind the move? Well Chief Transport Officer Michael Godoy says it is really an initiative of the Police Department. This afternoon Godoy discussed with 7NEWS the reason for new rule and how it will implemented.
Michael Godoy, Chief Transport Officer
"So many people complain about vehicles that you see the top tinted, the lower part tinted and it just has a little piece the driver is peeping through. That is ridiculous so I think what this is going to do – it will reduce the circumstances of people being kidnapped without around people able to say it was a guy with long hair, or short, or with beard or whatever. They will be able to give a description of who it is they saw in the vehicle when it moved off."
Keith Swift,
What does this mean for drivers who have tinted vehicles?
Michael Godoy,
"We'll have to look at a very reasonable time to allow people who, if you look around us, you will see that maybe like 80% to 90% of vehicles are tinted and they would not meet the standard that is required right now because what the police has asked to be in the legislation is that the vehicle be tinted in such a way that it will not detract from the person outside seeing a person or items that are in the vehicle and the reverse also. To me that is not saying that you cannot tint your vehicle.
I am of the opinion and I guess I will need to meet with the police to
see if they will be agreeable to it that a 20% tint is not unreasonable because you find there are vehicles that are brought into the country that are factory glazed and you will see that you can make out clearly the person that inside the vehicle but it is not very light tint because in some states in the U.S. it differs. Some of them its 20%, 35%, but I feel of the climate that we're in – this tropical climate that we're in and the heat of the sun of the day we do need to have some sort of protection from the sun in Belize."
Keith Swift,
Isn't this statutory instrument infringing on people's personal liberty because if I tint my vehicle it is because it is my property and I want privacy?
Michael Godoy,
"Its not in anyway taking away from the right of the individual because the vehicle basically is to provide transportation. The vehicle is not your home."
Godoy says it is likely there will be a grace period and so the rule might not be mandatory until January. If your vehicle is heavily tinted after January, you can be arrested and fined $500 or spend 6 months in jail.
There is also a good chance that your vehicle will be impounded until you remove tint. That is unless you get an exemption from the Minister. That's right, some vehicles will be allowed to carry heavy tint with authorization from the Minister. And given that, we would remiss to mention the loads of government rides with heavy tint – starting with the Transport Minister's government issued Toyota Landcruiser.
