[KJ_daGreenMini]

click here

apparently so as of 2 days ago. How crap is that?

[KJ_daGreenMini]

kinda important, maybe a sticky?

[punkeyfunky]

Quote: Originally Posted by KJ_daGreenMini

click here

apparently so as of 2 days ago. How crap is that?

Doesn't seem to be anything new to me. Tints were *always* restricted to a certain level of filtering (25% or so?) and this was ignored by many fitters and drivers, who went on to fit very dark tints.

I think that previously the law was a tad fuzzy and difficult to enforce. Thats been cleared up, so now if you've got dark (30%+) tints, you can expect to get your collar felt.

I've got light tints (20%, dealer arranged) and get no attention from the ol' bill.

-Lee aka Punkeyfunky


Edit: And looking at that link, I think it was Pentagon that fitted my tints

[KJ_daGreenMini]

i was talking to a guy from tint haus and he said that the legal level is to let 70% of light thru. I think its a bit of a shame really, because of a minority of wreckless drivers. I have to reconsider my sub install now, which is already installed. So thats a bit .

[Paul]

I read that and I think it now means that technically ALL tints on the front are illegal, but if you have older tings more than 30% you're likely to get pulled, otherwise you're likely to be OK, but all tinting from 1st Jan '04 is NOT allowed.

[JTT]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

I read that and I think it now means that technically ALL tints on the front are illegal, but if you have older tings more than 30% you're likely to get pulled, otherwise you're likely to be OK, but all tinting from 1st Jan '04 is NOT allowed.

If you do get pulled they are legally required to give you 7 or 10 (can't remember which) days to get them removed yourself before nicking you.

[KJ_daGreenMini]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

I read that and I think it now means that technically ALL tints on the front are illegal, but if you have older tings more than 30% you're likely to get pulled, otherwise you're likely to be OK, but all tinting from 1st Jan '04 is NOT allowed.

likely to get pulled or unlikely?

if you get pulled its 10 days to remove, after which you have to see a traffic vehicle inspection officer or something to get the job approved. otherwise you're screwed.

[bobbagum]

Would they be carrying around the equipment to measure the light levels? don't think so.
I think this legislation's too broad, why not specified an acceptable level of tint, perhaps not on the windshield, but the side front windows should be okay, and have the testing done at MOT time, instead of banning all fron tints as to not complicate the police's judgement.

[Olly.]

I had my tints done at pentagon. The front windows are "smoke" which is 30%

I had them done about a year ago now and even then 30% was the darkest they would allow on the front two windows. Personally I think any darker on the front would have been too dark

The back windows are their midnight smoke - don't know what % that is though.

From reading the article I doesn't seem to be any different now??

[Olly.]

Quote: Originally Posted by bobbagum

Would they be carrying around the equipment to measure the light levels? don't think so.
I think this legislation's too broad, why not specified an acceptable level of tint, perhaps not on the windshield, but the side front windows should be okay, and have the testing done at MOT time, instead of banning all fron tints as to not complicate the police's judgement.

The police do have light meters to test tinted windows. A mate got pulled over and had his tested by them!!

[Tonyt3]

Typical of Pentaagon Autotint to take the 'High Moral Ground' on window tiniting. When I contacted them abput tiniting a beemer some years ago they were more than willing to take my money for any level of tint. I assume that in the meantime they have changed this policey?

[stu D]

Quote: Originally Posted by bobbagum

Would they be carrying around the equipment to measure the light levels?

Yep!

Quote:

I think this legislation's too broad, why not specified an acceptable level of tint, perhaps not on the windshield, but the side front windows should be okay, and have the testing done at MOT time, instead of banning all fron tints as to not complicate the police's judgement.

Apart from the fact that MOT prices would probably increase, MOT's are only valid at the time the test is performed.

Emissions testing is carried out at the MOT, but police still need to do roadside checks because classic drivers will be fiddling their carbs on the way out of the test centre, just like all the boy racers will be taking their cats back out when they get home.

Tinting checks at the MOT centre won't mean the police can just ignore it, it would be nice though...

Stu D

[Harpo]

Surely this legislation has only been introduced in order to identify the criminal classes.

By this I mean middle aged women returning from Tesco's at 32mph.

It cannot be to ensure that the drivers visibility is not prejudiced, can it Max?
Unless the law lords have overlooked your sunglasses.

[Tonyt3]

Quote: Originally Posted by Harpo

Surely this legislation has only been introduced in order to identify the criminal classes.

By this I mean middle aged women returning from Tesco's at 32mph.

It cannot be to ensure that the drivers visibility is not prejudiced, can it Max?
Unless the law lords have overlooked your sunglasses.

Coming from a man with front tints, you might be a little surprised at my comment.... sunglasses you can remove when it gets dark, window tints you can't.

I have very light tints on my front windows (about half the value of the rears), but I can say that yes they do reduce sight at night. However, I have mine fitted for a reason. Two years ago I had my eyesight laser corrected, and it means that headlights dazzle you easily at night. My eyesight is 110% now, sharper and more sensitve than normal. But I am especially careful at night at junctions because I have tints. Boy racers in their Novas with tints 3 times as dark as mine probably wouldn't see most bikers thru their side windows at night, that why the law is changing.

Don't intend to remove my tints thou....

[Harpo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Max

...You can see that just 5% tinting offers no relief whatever to the unsuspecting passer-by

If I had to transport blubber like that, it would be in a hermetically sealed 20 foot shipping container. (Remember that story about the whale in Taiwan?)

Tony, interesting point about night time black-outs. I've never had anything other than the regular factory tints and had no idea that vision was compromised to that extent. Neither have I had to consider laser eye correction - didn't know about the starburst effect. If ever I do take that route I'll have a chat with you first.

[KJ_daGreenMini]

MAX!!! lol.she is almost as fat as my rear passenger seat install. lol. meh, i've spoken to a lot of my friends and they know nothing of this, one came back after talking to his road cop friend and apparently the legislation is to double up with the mobile phone legislation.

i cant risk my shiznit gettin 5 fingered.

[Root Ginger]

Mind you none of this stops you tinting the rear windows and then buying some new front side windows with a higher level of tint built into them. Bit expensive though. As long as it allowed 70% of light through should be a problem.

Not sure exactly what this law really means though. They say on the site it is backdated to January 1st 2004. So does that mean cars made before this date don't apply? Or cars tinted before this date don't apply? Slightly confused by that statement.

[Prowse]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ginge

Mind you none of this stops you tinting the rear windows and then buying some new front side windows with a higher level of tint built into them. Bit expensive though. As long as it allowed 70% of light through should be a problem.

Not sure exactly what this law really means though. They say on the site it is backdated to January 1st 2004. So does that mean cars made before this date don't apply? Or cars tinted before this date don't apply? Slightly confused by that statement.

The law came into effect from 01/Jan/04. From that date the (UK) police can stop you and test the window tint (I have heard that Lancashire traffic police already have a hand-held 'tintometer' device - they went around my local car dealership).

If your window tints are 30% light throughput or higher (light tints) you will be allowed to drive the car away but you must have the vehicle inspected by either a Police Officer or Vehicle Inspectorate Officer within ten days. If you remove the tints and have the vehicle inspected, you'll get away without any points/fine.

If the tints are very dark (less than 30% throughput), then you may be issued with an Immediate Prohibition Notice and immediately prevented from driving the vehicle on public roads until the tints have been removed and either a Police Officer or Vehicle Inspectorate Officer confirms that the glass has been restored to a compliant condition. It is also possible, depending on the severity of the offence, that the owner may be prosecuted for driving a vehicle in a non-roadworthy or even a dangerous condition with the potential for Penalty Points and a Fine.

As far as tint installers and car dealers are concerned, it is now unlawful to sell a vehicle that has tints applied toward of the B-Post, this may render the Tinter or Retailer liable to prosecution.

Another point of interest is that the MINI glass is already tinted lightly (I'd guess to about 95%). So if you've had a 30% tint film applied, to the MINI glass, the cumulative effect is a 25% tint - and you're into the penalty points and fine arena. I'd imagine that getting dark tinted glass won't get around this law either, as the vehicle is supplied new without dark tinted front window glass. I'd presume that it will be illegal for a retailer to sell replacement dark tinted front window glass.

This is a real pain in the are as I was just about to get my windows done.

[Root Ginger]

Quote: Originally Posted by Prowse

The law came into effect from 01/Jan/04. From that date the (UK) police can stop you and test the window tint (I have heard that Lancashire traffic police already have a hand-held 'tintometer' device - they went around my local car dealership).

If your window tints are 30% light throughput or higher (light tints) you will be allowed to drive the car away but you must have the vehicle inspected by either a Police Officer or Vehicle Inspectorate Officer within ten days. If you remove the tints and have the vehicle inspected, you'll get away without any points/fine.

If the tints are very dark (less than 30% throughput), then you may be issued with an Immediate Prohibition Notice and immediately prevented from driving the vehicle on public roads until the tints have been removed and either a Police Officer or Vehicle Inspectorate Officer confirms that the glass has been restored to a compliant condition. It is also possible, depending on the severity of the offence, that the owner may be prosecuted for driving a vehicle in a non-roadworthy or even a dangerous condition with the potential for Penalty Points and a Fine.

As far as tint installers and car dealers are concerned, it is now unlawful to sell a vehicle that has tints applied toward of the B-Post, this may render the Tinter or Retailer liable to prosecution.

Another point of interest is that the MINI glass is already tinted lightly (I'd guess to about 95%). So if you've had a 30% tint film applied, to the MINI glass, the cumulative effect is a 25% tint - and you're into the penalty points and fine arena. I'd imagine that getting dark tinted glass won't get around this law either, as the vehicle is supplied new without dark tinted front window glass. I'd presume that it will be illegal for a retailer to sell replacement dark tinted front window glass.

This is a real pain in the are as I was just about to get my windows done.

I don't see anything in the law that says you can't have glass with a 30% tint in it. The new law purely adds window tint films as being illegal, on the front windows. The OEM could manufacture a car with 30% tint and be legal so how can adding windows with 30% tint be illegal

[SteveM3]

Oh well I was humming and ha-ing about getting light tints when I
had some spare dosh so at least for me this thread has made up
my mind. Look on the bright side, without tints everyone can see
how cool you look with the right shades on.