If you drive a vehicle on the roads in Connecticut, you have to make sure you follow a variety of traffic laws. In addition to the rules of road, you also have to make sure your vehicle meets the requirements for equipment and safety. One area in which it is important to ensure you are in compliance is the windshield. The following are the windshield laws in Connecticut.
Windshield requirements
All vehicles driven on the roadways in Connecticut are required to have windshields.
All motorists are required to have working windshield wipers that are capable of removing snow, rain, sleet and other types of moisture on every vehicle.
All windshields musts be made of safety glass, which is glass that is either combined with other materials or treated in such a way that the potential for shattering and flying glass is considerably less than what is possible with traditional plate or sheet glass.
Obstructions
Connecticut laws also forbid obstructions that are attached to or hanging in front of the windshield that may obstruct the driver’s view. These regulations include:
Posters, signs and other materials are not permitted if they block any portion of the driver’s view through the windshield.
Stickers and other materials can be displayed within a seven-inch area in the lower corner of the windshield that is farthest from the driver.
Stickers and materials located in the lowest corner of the windshield closest to the driver can take up an area no larger than five inches.
Cracks and chips
Connecticut laws concerning cracks and chips only state that the windshield must be in a condition that does not include defects that obstruct the driver’s view of the highway. This means that the ticketing officer must use his or her own best judgement to determine whether the cracks or chips in your windshield obstruct your view.
Window tint
While Connecticut does allow window tint on the windows of vehicles, they must follow specific guidelines, including:
Any tint on the windshield must be non-reflective and located above the AS-1 line that is supplied by the manufacturer.
If other windows have tint, there must be a sticker applied to each window that shows that it allows over the 35% of light to enter that is required by law.
If the rear window is tinted, the vehicle must have side mirrors on both sides.
Reflective tint is only permitted on the front side and back side windows and it cannot reflect more than 21%.
Violations
Connecticut does not list the actual amounts of the fines that drivers can face if they are not in compliance with the windshield laws in the state. Additionally, motorists need to understand that while they may feel damage does not obstruct their vision, it is up to the ticketing officer’s discretion as to whether you are violating the laws.
If your windshield needs to be inspected or your wipers are not working properly, a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, can help you get back on the road safely and quickly so you are driving within the laws.
