Demand for sun films by motorists on the rise following HC verdict

Unprecedented rush for sun control films in car accessories shops following Kerala High Court order, offering reprieve to vehicle owners.

Car accessories shops in the city are witnessing an unprecedented rush for sun control films following a recent Kerala High Court order permitting the use of the films on vehicle windows.

That the Motor Vehicles department (MVD) has been admonished for unnecessarily imposing fines on vehicles for using sun control films comes as a reprieve to vehicle owners who have found the blanket ban on sun control films inconvenient.

“These days I work from dawn to dusk and sometimes until midnight installing sun control vehicles on cars. I can work on five to six cars a day,” said Prasad. K, who runs a car accessories shop in West Hill, Kozhikode. Mr. Prasad has also been taking jobs from other shops as installing the films requires a certain skill set.

With the rising temperature, sun control films have become a necessity rather than a luxury. It also guards the drivers from high-beam lights of vehicles plying in the opposite direction at night.

The recent judgment came after one such establishment approached the court when the MVD tried to cancel its registration for installing sun control films on cars. A sun control film manufacturer and a vehicle user too had joined as party in the case questioning the MVD’s action.

The court maintained that the films could be installed adhering to the regulations mentioned in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, with 70% visibility in the front and back glasses while only only 50% visibility was required for the side windows.

“However, the films come in different qualities. Choosing the right quality is also crucial,” said Mr. Prasad who has been working in this field since 1992.