A leading skin specialist has called for the easing of regulations on tinted car windows, deploring the fact that, in 2010, technology is unavailable to gauge the tint.
The Times has reported that traffic police and wardens do not have equipment to gauge whether a vehicle’s tinted windows are legal or not and have to resort to making a visual assessment. Consultant dermatologist Lawrence Scerri said: “The case is very relevant because people spend a lot of time in the car. Normal windows restrict the passage of UVB rays only but tinted windows cut UVA rays which increase chances of premature skin ageing.”
The consultant was speaking on Tuesday when Charmaine Gauci and Marianne Massa, both from the Directorate for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and the Parliamentary Assistant for Health, Peter Micallef, standing in the shade of an olive tree, dealt with the negative effects of the sun’s rays in an event organised by the directorate at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, in Valletta.
Dr Micallef highlighted the importance of applying sunscreen, keeping to the shade, wearing protective clothing and drinking plenty of water. He also advised avoidance of the sun’s harmful rays, especially between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun is at its strongest. At the end of the meeting, scout members handed out information bookmarks and sunscreen samples to Upper Barrakka Gardens visitors.