[Opinion] “Sunting”

People use the word “sunting” to refer to having a darkened film applied to the windows of a car. The word, however, is a so-called “Konglish” term. It may make sense to describe it as “window tinting,” which combines “tint” and “window.” In the past, window tinting was favored by entertainers or politicians who wanted to protect their privacy, but nowadays it is hard to find a car without window tinting. Although no accurate statistics are available, it is estimated that currently 70 to 80 percent of passenger cars have tinted glasses.

Drivers get tinted windows for several reasons including protecting privacy and blocking sunlight. Many scientific studies have substantiated that tinted windows protect drivers’ skin, by blocking sunlight and UV rays from penetrating through the car windows. It also prevents heat from rising inside vehicles, enhancing energy efficiency of the cooling system. Given the inside of a vehicle is also a private place, there is no reason to restrict desire to protect one’s privacy unless it undermines the established social morals and customs.

Police have enforced the regulation on window tinting, arguing that it can cause traffic accidents and be abused for criminal activities. The original Road Traffic Act stipulated that police should regulate tinted cars if they cannot discern drivers through the windows from a 10 meter distance. The road traffic authorities, however, eased the regulation in 2005, saying the Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) of a vehicle should be at least 40 percent for window tinting on the left, right and rear windows. The law is expected to be enforced beginning this June, but police officers seem unwilling to crack down those violating the rules due to possible wrangling with drivers.

Today’s technology of window film enables motorists inside vehicles to see through the windows, but prevent outsiders from identifying the passengers. Considering this, there is no point that police should see through the windows of other vehicles unless the cars are involved in crime. The Ministry of Government Legislation cited the regulation of window tinting as a representative example of public inconvenience during its business briefing to President Lee Myung-bak yesterday. We have doubt that how effective the rule should be, given the regulation has become obsolete. In this sense, it would be more desirable for the government to abolish the regulation. In fact, such a problem does not confine to window tinting. The government should make efforts to get rid of unnecessary rules as many as possible.

Editorial Writer Park Won-jae (parkwj@donga.com)