New Anti-Sunfilm Drive Launched In Peak Summer: Cops Remove Sunfilm, Fine Car Owners
It’s only May and the temperatures in many Indian cities have touched over 40 degrees Celsius. In such a situation, driving a car becomes extremely difficult, which is why many people have started installing sunfilms on their cars. While it is considered illegal, many people are left with no option but to install them as the AC in their vehicles starts to fail. Just like every year, Karnataka cops have once again started a drive to nab car owners who have installed sunfilms on their vehicles.
Mysuru traffic police shared images of the drive via the Police Commissioner’s official X profile. The images of the drive were posted with a caption that translated to, “Date: On 14.05.2025, the officers & staff of the traffic police station fined the drivers who were driving their vehicles without following the law and had the cooling paper removed on the spot.”
In this drive, the officers stopped vehicles that were using sunfilms or tints beyond the permissible limit. Every vehicle that was stopped for this offence was fined Rs 500. Not only were these vehicles fined, but the tints were also removed from the vehicles on the spot.
While sunfilms are completely banned as per the order by the Supreme Court, there is still some confusion around this topic. Mangaluru police officers confirmed that, as per the apex court’s guidelines, no additional material should be affixed to the window glass.
Dark tints or sunfilms were majorly banned in the country after a rise in crimes. There were several reported cases where cars with tinted windows were used to commit crimes. The court noticed this and ordered authorities to ban them. Dark tints often block visibility, and the occupants cannot be easily identified. It also affects visibility at night.
This regulation is applicable to both private and commercial vehicles, which is why officers are conducting such drives to catch offenders. This is not the first time Mangaluru police have done something like this.
Earlier this month, Mangaluru police conducted a similar drive in which they booked around 500 vehicles for illegal modifications. The officers collected around Rs 2.53 lakh in fines, which included 54 vehicles stopped for sunfilms and stickers.
As of now, Mysuru traffic has busted over 150 cars for using illegal sun films. There are good quality sun films which aren't too dark in the market but, they are expensive than regular ones. There are brands like Maruti Suzuki and many high end German cars that come with UV cut glasses from the factory. These glasses reduce the heat in the cabin and also helps in maintaining the temperature.
It is really difficult to drive a car in summer, as the AC compressor has to work harder to maintain the cabin temperature. This reduces the life of the compressor and also decreases fuel efficiency.
The Supreme Court Order
The Supreme Court’s ruling in the 2012 case of Avishek Goenka Vs Union of India strictly bans the use of any black film or tinted material, regardless of the percentage of visible light transmission (VLT), on any part of a vehicle’s safety glass.
This includes front and rear windscreens and side windows. The ruling was primarily due to concerns about safety and the possibility of facilitating criminal activities. It came into effect on May 4, 2012.
However, there are a few states now allowing the use of sunfilms or glazed films on windscreens. Kerala is an example. In a recent 2024 ruling, the Kerala High Court permitted the use of sunfilms that comply with approved regulations.
The High Court referred to the 100th amendment of the Central Motor Vehicles (CMV) Rules, which allows the use of safety glazing instead of safety glass for the front, rear, and side windows.