x2…
Having 5% on your side windows is dumb and dangerous too IMO. Ive driven trucks with tint that dark and yeah, you cant see shit backing up at night…but even worse/more importantly, you cant even see cars next to you on the highway. If I have to slam on the brakes and do an emergency lane change, I dont want to have to look "hard" through the window/tint to see my mirrors if anyone is in the other lane.
HID's or not (dont get me started on how shitty HID's in stock housings are compared to a real projector setup), you still cut down a huge amount on your night vision.
IDGAF what you "think"…your eyes are playing tricks on you. Its physically impossible to see as well out of a tinted windshield at night. You guys with your tinted windshileds and awful plug-and-play HID setups, Ill gladly put my truck (no windshield tint, and bi-xenon projector retrofit plus halogen HIR high beams) side-by-side with yours at night on a long straight dark road and you'll be shocked at how bad your night vision actually is. You honestly cant tell what you're missing until you've "seen the light", no pun intended.
I used to think my plug-and-play HID setup with the all-4 mod was tits and I THOUGHT I could see 20 miles down the road (while being a jackass and blinding oncoming drivers)….now after having my bi-xenon projector retrofit in my truck and getting used to it for a couple years, I get so frustrated and annoyed when I have to drive friends' trucks (with the ubiquitous plug-and-play HID/all 4 mod), because I realize how shitty/uncontrolled/unfocused the light output actually is.
Ive lost track of how many people have ridden in my truck (who themselves own the typical plug-and-play HID's in their own truck, and naturally think they are awesome), when I have the low beams on, they think my headlights "suck" because they are actually aimed PROPERLY (to evenly light the narrow field road, evenly light the extreme sides of the road, have a sharp beam cutoff, and NOT blind oncoming drivers) and dont just spill random light around everywhere liek plug-and-play setups, they actually focus the light 100% where you need it and nowhere else….then I flip to high beams and its always a "WHOOAAAA holy shittttt!!!!" reaction from them….
rant off.
Ben