WILLEMSTAD - The tinted side windows law came into effect on Thursday. It is now permitted to cover the side windows with foil, provided that it allows 35 percent light to pass through.  

The amendment was passed with 15 votes in favor on March 1. The opposition fears the consequences of the dark side windows, referring to an increase in traffic accidents. The PAR faction says it would have liked to know more from the police and the Public Prosecution Service.  

The amendment to the law was signed by Minister Charles Cooper of Transport, Traffic and Spatial Planning (VVRP) and Education Minister Sithree van Heydoorn, who also signed as deputy prime minister.  

Cooper will prepare a report on the effectiveness and impact of the change in practice two years after the law goes into effect. The national ordinance emphasizes that it concerns the side windows and not the windshields of vehicles.