NEW YORK—On Staten Island, getting a speeding ticket is less common than getting a ticket for not wearing a safety belt or having windows that are tinted too heavily, according to NYPD data.
In 2012 so far, 1,169 tinted windows violations and 1,498 seatbelt violations have been recorded, versus 1,035 speeding violations.
“Window tint blocks out UVs (ultraviolet rays),” Christian Zagami, co-owner of the WC Tint Shop, told Staten Island Advance, which first reported on this phenomenon. Zagami added that the shop gets many people with skin issues, such as skin cancer, and older people, coming to get “even the lightest tint, [which] blocks out 99 percent of the UVs.”
Citywide, tinted windows are one of the top violations this year, as well as talking on a cellphone while driving and not wearing a seat belt.
In Brooklyn South, which was the area with the most violations recorded this year, 40,846—7,915 cellphone infractions have been recorded this year. This infraction is also top in Brooklyn North, with 4,837.
In the Bronx, the top violation is tinted windows with 4,312 so far this year, while in Queens South, 7,544 tinted window violations have been recorded. The top violation in Queens North is safety belt, with 6,957.
Disobeying signs was the top violation in Manhattan South, with 4,741, while Manhattan North’s topped with 5,661 cellphone violations.
