5% Tint at Night: Can You See Through It?

There are affiliate links on this article. If you make a purchase through any of the links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Can you comfortably drive with a 5% tint at night? There are different purposes why most drivers prefer to tint their windows and glasses; but mostly, it’s all about privacy – not wanting other road users to quickly see you, or see who’s in the passenger cabin.

However, car window tint is applied on levels. Particularly, 5% tint means that your car window is tinted to restrict 95% light penetration. In other words, only 5% clarity is allowed. This could be very cool when you’re driving in the daytime – sunny hours but becomes a concern at night.

But can you see through a 5% tinted car window at night? Yes, you can, but it’d be very difficult, and there has to be lighting on the roads too.

Can You See Through 5% Tint At Night?

Think of it this way, it’s difficult to see through a 5% tinted window while driving in the daytime, how much more at night? You’d have an impaired vision – to say, at least.

Driving at night needs more carefulness and any gear that could improve your vision, which is why some drivers would opt for a “Night Vision” eyeglass.

5% tint glasses are extremely dark, which is why it is not advisable to apply 5% on all glasses, especially the front windshield and front windows. It’s actually cool to have a 5% tint on the rearview window, then rely on your dual side mirrors to see clearly – what’s happening at your rear.

However, this does not mean that it is prohibited to drive with a 5% tinted windshield. If you’re driving through a city or neighborhood that has very bright streetlights and other lights shining on the road at night, then, you could drive with a 5% tinted windshield and still find it cool.

But, if you’re driving through roads that do not have bright streetlights, then it’d be definitely impossible to drive smoothly with a 5% tint glass – you won’t see a thing. The headlights/headlamps don’t have a play here – no matter how bright your headlights are, you’d stress your eyes to drive with a 5% tint at night.

Where to Have 5% Tint

You can put a 5% tint on the three (3) rear windows; the windows on the passenger cabin and the rear window; while the front windows and windshield are either not tinted or tinted less, let’s say 15% – 25%. To a satisfying extent, you would see well at night with 15% – 25% tint.

See Also: Dual Side Mirror

Summary

So, with a 5% tint at night, can you see through? The simple answer is NO. Even during the daytime, it’s quite difficult to see through a 5% tint. This level of tinting is usually done on the rearview window and windows on the rear seat row.

Finally, before getting your windows tinted, it is important to obtain the rules for car window tinting in your area. You may also need an authorized document to permit you to drive with tinted windows. Details on the level of tint you should get would be relayed in the document.

Scroll to Top