Valley residents are used to sweltering hot summers, but did you know it is hotter in Phoenix this summer than it has been since 1896? And harsh UV rays provide a much greater skin cancer hazard to drivers than they even realize. Read on to discover why tinting your car windows is so important for you and your passengers’ health.

 

Summer is more than halfway over and that means the unrelenting Arizona sun is a huge concern for cars and the people in them. We all may be used to constantly wearing sunscreen in the Valley but have you ever thought about protecting yourself from sun damage in your car? Make sure you are doing everything you need to protect your family and your belongings from sun damage by reading these tips on the importance of tinted car windows.

The sun’s harsh rays can have a lasting impact on your vehicle and your family if you do not have window tinting. Stewart Reeder, owner of Mesa’s Smartfilm Automotive, realizes the importance of window tint in regards to health benefits and dedicates his business to protecting his customers and their vehicles from the sun. Smartfilm Automotive even donated 10 percent of their daily proceeds from June 28 to July 3 to The Skin Cancer Foundation to promote skin cancer awareness and the many benefits of window tint.

Millions of Americans do not realize they experience the majority of their exposure to the sun while driving. Studies have proven that people are more prone to skin cancer due to sun exposure on their left arm and left side of the face. This is where window tint comes in to play.

“Window tint is important anywhere in a vehicle because the sun’s UV light is what causes damage to your skin and to your interior… but it seems to be especially prevalent here in Arizona because we have a lot of sunshine,” says Reeder.

When properly applied, window tint can reduce the heat and UV ray exposure in your car by more than 60 percent, in addition to keeping your interior from fading due to exposure.

“You’ll notice if you don’t have an after-market film, that’s what causes the plastic and the cloth in your interior to get brittle, crack, and fade and basically deteriorate from the UV light,” says Reeder.

Adding window tint may create a custom look for your vehicle, but the greatest benefits of tinting your windows goes much deeper than surface level preferences. By blocking around 99 percent of all ultraviolet rays, window tinting helps limit dangerous sun exposure to vehicles’ occupants. As a result, Reeder doesn’t recommend any certain degree of tint but explains the differences in shades and what they protect.

“Actually, we recommend any tint. Now there is a difference between protection as far as UV goes and protection from the heat and the light. When it comes to just the skin cancer aspect of it, shade doesn’t play a part. We are looking specifically to get after-market film on vehicles to protect you from UV light. And then shade will play a part, and so will film type, whenever you are talking about protection from the sun as far as the heat and the visible light. But when we are talking about the skin cancer part of it, any after-market film will do the job. They are all 98 to 99 percent UV block,” says Reeder.

Smartfilm Automotive even offers new options for those who want their windows completely clear, but still want protection from the sun’s harmful rays.

“We have films that are completely clear that will give you not only the UV protection, but they also block heat,” says Reeder.

Accident safety is also a key component of the benefits of window tint. Windows that have tint applied to them can hold broken glass together and keep it from becoming airborne during an accident, protecting those inside the car from being injured further. Window tint also offers protection from the glare of the sun during the day as well as bright headlights from an oncoming car while driving at night.