Window Tints
Author
Discussion

glenn911C4S

Original Poster:

277 posts

265 months

Wednesday 4th July 2007
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My son has a Mini One with dark tints on all glass other than the wndscreen, has has just been stopped by the police and they have used a device to determine the level of tint, the reading of the meter was 63.3.He has been advised to remove the tint on the two front windows, he's actually in the garage doing that now. He was given the results of the test on a pink slip, he was not given a producer, what fine / points can he expect?

allaway

353 posts

253 months

Thursday 5th July 2007
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No points. Possibly no fine.

Big Rod

6,265 posts

247 months

Thursday 5th July 2007
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Sounds like intelligent and conscientious Policing to me.

I heard a story about someone who had the same test done on a Voyager a few years ago. Tinted from the factory and bought brand new. Fined and endorsed!!

I didn't actually realise the limit for tints on the front windows was so strict. I'd driven a car around for two years with tints on the front side windows and no-one bothered me. I only realised it was illegal a week before I sold it and a friend told me the above story.

jvaughan

6,025 posts

314 months

Thursday 5th July 2007
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The law changed about 2 years ago that prohibited tinting the drivers / passenger windows at all. The rest of the windows .. you can paint black if you want.

RaksP

760 posts

235 months

Thursday 5th July 2007
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a collegue has just said if you leave one of the front three windows clear this is legal!? I take it from the above this is wrong!?

TPS

1,860 posts

244 months

Thursday 5th July 2007
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Yes total rubbish.You are not allowed to tint the front windows from the b post forward ie drivers window passanger window and windscreen.Most windows now are tinted as standard to the maximum limit allowed from the factory.

Edit...That is unless the windows have not been tinted already.The limit on tint is very low on the front windows though so your not allowed dark tints.

Edited by TPS on Thursday 5th July 12:40

steve.c

12,525 posts

240 months

Thursday 5th July 2007
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30% tint to front side windows is the maximum legal amount allowed,the windscreen has to be clear I think

Glassman

25,069 posts

246 months

Thursday 5th July 2007
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steve.c said:
30% tint to front side windows is the maximum legal amount allowed,the windscreen has to be clear I think
Clear would mean 100% transparency. Standard - factory fitted - tinted glass in blue, bronze, green and grey come in at 70/75% transparency.

BO55 VXR

4,373 posts

282 months

glenn911C4S

Original Poster:

277 posts

265 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
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He got £180 fine and licence revoked.

iaha

345 posts

264 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
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glenn911C4S said:
He got £180 fine and licence revoked.
Must be more to it than that!


What were the offences?

The one offence referred to in your OP is non endorsable.

glenn911C4S

Original Poster:

277 posts

265 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
quotequote all
He was a new driver, already had 3 points for SP30 (Speed Camera), got three points for the tints; a total of 6, automatice ban for 6 points.

iaha

345 posts

264 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
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glenn911C4S said:
He was a new driver, already had 3 points for SP30 (Speed Camera), got three points for the tints; a total of 6, automatice ban for 6 points.
You don't get points just for tints. He must've been done for something else. It doesn't even sound like the tints were ridiculous. Even if the obscuration was 63% they are still pretty easy to see through. confused

^Slider^

2,874 posts

280 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
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Possibly vehicle in dangerous condition?? Thats a 3 pointer and also a posibility with tinted windows.

hondafanatic

4,969 posts

232 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
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iaha said:
glenn911C4S said:
He was a new driver, already had 3 points for SP30 (Speed Camera), got three points for the tints; a total of 6, automatice ban for 6 points.
You don't get points just for tints. He must've been done for something else. It doesn't even sound like the tints were ridiculous. Even if the obscuration was 63% they are still pretty easy to see through. confused
Yes you can get points for tints and i believe the limit is 70%...so 63% is under the limit, so it doesn't really matter whether you can still see through the easily or not, they are under the limit.

PS...i'm not against light tints myself, however, when I was stopped, I was just asked to take them off and get them rechecked. Going to the trouble of points seems harsh considering the consequence imho.

tigger1

8,478 posts

252 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
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Whilst it seems harsh - we could do with more people being chased off the roads for things like this.

Improper use of fog lights should be next.


iaha

345 posts

264 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
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^Slider^ said:
Possibly vehicle in dangerous condition?? Thats a 3 pointer and also a posibility with tinted windows.
That's about all I could think of.

But 63% is not that bad. I've reported for +95% obscuration before.

I don't think 63% would qualify for dangerous condition likely to cause injury. Otherwise we should all be getting done if we had sunglasses on. They usually obscure more than 90% of light.

A bit heavy handed methinks.

hondafanatic

4,969 posts

232 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
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Slightly OT, but has anyone ever seen stats about accidents caused or implicated directly to accidents compared to other reasons. i.e. 1 in 10 accidents is due to tinted windows?

I kinda get the feeling that someone with the power to push through such policies takes a dislike to something and gets the law changed/updated. In this case, tinted windows.

I'm not coming from any particular angle, the one reason I think limo tints should definitely be banned on the front side windows is from a Bib point of view. I wouldn't really fancy approaching a vehicle that I suspect could have dodgy characters in, only to find a gun is pointing at me from the otherside of the window once I'm a foot away from it as it's being wound down. If that makes sense?

Jeremy Kyle

172 posts

231 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
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hondafanatic said:
PS...i'm not against light tints myself, however, when I was stopped, I was just asked to take them off and get them rechecked. Going to the trouble of points seems harsh considering the consequence imho.
This is what I hate about the way the law works, we have one person just asked to remove their tints whereas another has received 3 points. it’s the same with speeding it all depends on the mood of the officer and if they like you or not!! Its very confusing and causes resentment to the bib! I have no disputes with giving people warnings but lets put the rules down properly like anything above a certain percentage will DEFINITELY get points and below this they will not.

Stig

11,823 posts

315 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2007
quotequote all
hondafanatic said:
Slightly OT, but has anyone ever seen stats about accidents caused or implicated directly to accidents compared to other reasons. i.e. 1 in 10 accidents is due to tinted windows?

I kinda get the feeling that someone with the power to push through such policies takes a dislike to something and gets the law changed/updated. In this case, tinted windows.

I'm not coming from any particular angle, the one reason I think limo tints should definitely be banned on the front side windows is from a Bib point of view. I wouldn't really fancy approaching a vehicle that I suspect could have dodgy characters in, only to find a gun is pointing at me from the otherside of the window once I'm a foot away from it as it's being wound down. If that makes sense?
IIRC, an accident involving a car and a bike catalysed the legislation. Car was at a T-junction and did the classis and pulled out in front of bike - cue 'sorry mate I didn't see you'. Car had heavily tinted front side windows which were deemed to be partly to blame.