If you’ve driven several vehicles, you’ve probably noticed that some vehicle windshields are equipped with a tinted strip on the windshield. The strip can either be blue that fades out as it gets lower, or it may be a pixelated strip that fades the lower it goes. These tint strips are usually around four to six inches in height and stretch the whole length of the windshield.
The purpose of tint strips
The tint strip on the windshield is actually known as a shade band. Its purpose is simple: to provide protection from the sun’s glare in that pesky spot just below your roof line and just above the visor. That spot is notorious for being difficult to block when you are driving into the sun shortly before sundown.
The reason the shade band is only four to six inches in height is so it doesn’t obstruct or obscure your vision when you are driving in normal traffic. If the shade band stretched any further down, it could cause a distraction to some drivers or make it hard to see traffic lights at an upward angle.
If your windshield doesn't have a shade band, it's important to get one. It's not mandatory on all vehicles nor is it required if your windshield was originally equipped with one, but it can prevent annoying glare from hard to block spots.
