I had posted a question on the MyMigraineConnection site about what alterations/accommodation have you made to your car for your Migraines. Some of the answers I received ultimately led me down the path of investigating having my car windows tinted.
My research taught me that it is illegal to have any tint on the front side windows of your car in my state unless you have a medical exemption. I would need to fill out an exemption form and then have my doctor complete it before sending it into the state for approval. I really wasn't concerned about my doctor signing off on it, but if you tint your windows, it is a permanent fix and not like a temporary solution I received in the original question I posted.
My next step was to try to find out if other Migraineurs have tinted windows, what their experience is with them and especially how they are at night when you can't remove them so I submitted a post on MMC asking for any ones knowledge about tinted windows where I received some more excellent responses.
In the middle of my doctor's visit last week, I started off telling her that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do yet, but my research had shown me that having my front side car windows tinted might be good for my Migraines, but that tinting is illegal in my state unless you have a medical exemption. As I started to pull out the partially completed form, she said that she would sign anything I wanted her to and finished filling it out right then.
My biggest fear with tinted windows is driving at night especially if it's raining or if there is some other inclement weather where I can't remove the tinting and put it right back. In the first answer I received to the original question I posted, Teri said she "uses thin grey plastic pieces which she found that adhere to the side windows and help so much during the day and can be taken off when there's less light."
If you know me by now, you know I have to analyze everything before I decide what I want to do around something new to me. I have already mailed in the completed exemption form to the state even though I am not totally set on having my windows tinted yet. It will take a few weeks before I find out if I am approved and what percentage of tinting I am approved for.
I know someone who has a big pickup truck (four doors, extra long bed and it takes a big leap to get up into the truck) with tinted windows. My friend also said that it didn't cost him too much to have his truck windows done. So what do I do about this situation? I take the truck out for a spin at night down a dark, dark windy road with no street lights or houses while it is drizzling. I normally drive a compact car everyday. This is a big contrast in vehicles not to mention the windows. On the bright side? It wasn't pouring down rain when I went out for my spin.
It did take some getting used to the windows especially after I first got into it and needed to back out of the driveway while using the mirrors since I refused to roll down the windows so I could get the full effect. I needed to be especially careful as I know this is not a game. I would never forgive myself if I ever caused harm or worse to someone else while I was behind the wheel.
After driving a little and getting used to both the truck and the tinted windows, the window tinting does seem to become a little less visible. It really seems like it would be something awesome during the day, but I also have to look at the worst case scenarios of the situation before I can jump right in. I think what I'm going to do, if I am approved for the exemption, is to take the truck out for another spin after just to make sure everything would be safe and the way I need it to be before making my final decision.
If you are interested in what your state laws are on having your car windows tinted, here is a link to a website that lists all of the state tinting laws. Some states have no tinting limitations while others are very restrictive. Of course, if you get more serious about having your windows tinted, you should go to your state site to look up the window tinting laws there which is also where I got the forms to apply for my state exemption.
Do you have any experience with window tinting on your car? I'd love to hear about it.
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