Window Tint

[Wooly]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jonmorgan (original)

[From 1st January 2004 any Motor Retailer that sells a vehicle that has window tint films applied which reduce visible light transmission levels to below prescribed levels forward of the B-Post.

Ive always thought you are allowed to have them but not really dark. What daro said is the law as i remember it. But i am going to contact the local filth to find out the law, i shall post it 'if' or when i get a reply.

But from what it says above, it kind of insinuates that you are allowed tint but 'to below prescribed levels forward of the B-Post.' . If this is true i shall ask what the 'prescribed levels are.

MINI's to me don't look quite right without the tints . The back and back sides cry out for tints, especially since half the surround is already black.

Police are non-existent around my parts, and so many people have tints all round that they should have their work cut out, but i never see them on the streets.

i just want my tints the same grade as factory on the back and sides, but half a shade lighter on the fronts if that makes sense. Its not as if the factory tints are not see through, sometimes it doesnt even look tinted in certain light.

Thanks for bringing up some issues i had not considered before though. And i shall post the information i gather when i get it.

Carlo i do not know if it is genuine, thats why i want to see if anyone here has bought from them before.

[Wooly]

http://www.mini2.com/forum/2nd-gen-e...ds-booked.html

Just found that, on the first page...apparently this is legal

Quote:

Pentagon

Quote:

Quote: Originally Posted by KenL (original)
Those tints looks really dark, are they legal?

The rules only apply to ' forward of the B post' . Photographs always make tints look excessive, especially at the wrong angle and even more so with the security glass that is on this car. The fronts are light smoke which in combination with the exisiting factory tints is just on the wrong side of the 70% visible light transmission rule. It is however inside Govt regulations that suggest the Police and VOSA only enforce the legislation where tinting is 'excessive' ie below 45% VLT, which is where you'll get points and in some serious problems. This is why you shouldnt order factory privacy glass as it stops you having a nice, gentle ' allround' tint and your car will look like a Mini van. Or a GP. From the inside it doesnt appear tinted at all, from the outside you can still see the driver clearly.

[:: Jon ::]

the mini has a % of tint to the glass already this is why any extra tint makes it illegal and this will also invalidate your insurance.. I quoted the above from LAW sites,

take from someone who actually has had dealings with the law with regards to this topic.. they are illegal FACT!

[Wooly]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jonmorgan (original)

the mini has a % of tint to the glass already this is why any extra tint makes it illegal and this will also invalidate your insurance.. I quoted the above from LAW sites,

take from someone who actually has had dealings with the law with regards to this topic.. they are illegal FACT!

I remember your car from last years calendar, and to be fair it was excessively dark which is maybe why you had to have them removed straight away.

Ive done some research on the subject from the dft and this is what ive found so far, although i will be emailing them for clarification.
Department for Transport - Tinted Windows - summary of responses Info from here, although it does seem inconsistent and the text appears to always point to other people on the situation.

Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF)

A sympathetic enforcement policy should be implemented by the police and VOSA to discriminate between what they consider 'light' tints (but which do not meet the prescribed standards) and very dark tints which are clearly dangerous. Those with 'light' tinted films (above 30% VLT) should only be issued with rectification notices or delayed prohibition notices and not immediate prohibitions.

Immediate prohibitions should only be issued in cases where window tints are very dark (below 30% VLT). Delayed prohibitions should be issued for less heavily tinted windows (30%-50% VLT) and the police and VOSA should generally only point out non-compliance with the law in the less serious cases (50%-70% VLT). However, these are merely guidelines and the Police/VOSA have discretion to decide for themselves what action is appropriate in particular circumstances.


The British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF)

The sale of tints and films for vehicle windows should be banned.

The construction and use regulations only prescribe light transmission levels for windscreens and other windows at the side or forward of the driver seat. Films and tints can legally be applied to back windows so we could not ban the sale of these items.

British School of Motoring (BSM)

There is little public awareness of the prescribed tint levels.



The prescribed visual light transmittance levels are on the Department's website. We could also highlight this issue in DSA's handbook "Driving the Essential Skills" as suggested by BSM.

A lot of the stuff above and on that website is conflicting thats why i will contact them.

Jon how do you know the tint already on the minis front windows are, as you say, on the limit? If you have contacted mini about the issue id be grateful if you could post it on here.

I tend not to believe some information on the internet especially when it is a certain company saying it so im trying to get all the legal info from the government agencies and bmw themselves.

so im not taking the mick and not believing you but you have to understand where im coming from. As i see so many cars with front tints although they dont appear to be excessive they are darker than standard minis so by what you say, it should be illegal; but i've never seen anyone having them removed or know anyone that has had to.

I only want my tint a tad darker, so you can still see in and out clearly. i dont 'need' it as such but, I just dont like the look of a black roof with a clear as can be window, it needs a little bit of shade to look right imo.
I probably will go ahead with it regardless, its barely going to be noticeable especially in the company of cars around these days. If the old bill pulls me over and asks for it to be removed then fair enough i will do it right in front of them. At least i would still be left with the rear windows tinted!! Albeit, £80 more than MINI's price.
I can live without the fronts tinted, but it would be 'nice' to have them.

[:: Jon ::]

Quote:

UK-window-tinting-law

Above 30% Visible Light Transmission (Less Severe Window Tints)



The owner or driver of such a vehicle would be required to have the tinted film removed from the windows under the direction of either a Rectification Notice or a Delayed Prohibition Notice.

A period of grace will apply for a limited number of days (normally ten) during which time the vehicle may be driven whilst the rectification work is to be completed.



In either case, the vehicle will need to be inspected by either a Police Officer or Vehicle Inspectorate Officer to confirm that the glass has been restored to a compliant condition. Prosecution is unlikely in such circumstances provided the vehicle owner complies fully.

Quote:

The Law:
You are not allowed to tint your windscreen or front windows AT ALL. Anything forward of the B pillar (middle of the car) MUST NOT be tinted in anyway. You are however still allowed to perform any level of tinting on your back windows.



ADDITION


This will effectively ban all tinted films fitted to windows forward of the B-Post on any vehicle that is to be driven on UK roads.

The MINI has a standard tint ( UV ) to the glass which when tested with a light meter reads 26% of light is transmitted through, I know this as mine was tested,

the legal limit is 30% MAX, so once any tint has been applied this results in being over the legal limit, in which you are then open to fines, points, and if they really want to throw the book they will check the whole car over ie tyres, emissions and so on to see what else is illegal.

The front TINT will also invalidate your insurance so then what would you do, because driving a car on the pulic highway without insurance is a criminal offence,

so not only are you thinking of breaking 1 law you will be breaking 2 laws.. pity anyone you crash into as you wont have any insurance...

GOOD LUCK..

[:: Jon ::]

Quote: Originally Posted by Wooly (original)

I remember your car from last years calendar, and to be fair it was excessively dark which is maybe why you had to have them removed straight away.

I'd love to know what calendar as my car has never been in one,

my cooper which was an 02 plate which falls before the change in LAW but still the law applies to it was only a 25% tint the lightest avilable, so unless you know what your talking about how can you say it was exceeively dark

My Cooper S which I now own was the same, But due to the colour which gave off a slight imprssion of being darker as the contrast of colour they looked darker than actually were..

[SoggyCornFlakes]

Guys - I'd suggest you listen to Jon as he is correct. You may get away with it if you're lucky, but if you have an accident you'll find your inurance is invalidated and you will then face much more than 3 points and a ticking off.

My local dealer used to do a lot of tints but is unable to do so now due to the law, trust me, they'd throw away good sales revenue unless they had to!!

[Tonyrec]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jonmorgan (original)

I wouldnt bother having them done on the front drivers or pass windows as you will be pulled and tested.. and any tint on the front is illegal.. and it is ILLEGAL to supply / fit them to these windows unless its a show car.

as seen here.. you get a few choices..
1. Remove them at the scene
2. Have them removed then you need to produce an MOT cert at the police station
3. points and a fine plus have them removed

depends on how the officer feels.

You forgot about producing a new MOT Cert regardless of whether or not the car is a few days old.
If 'they' put a PG9 on it then the only way to get it removed is by having an MOT and taking the Cert to the local Police Station where you will be given a Form PG10 for its removal.

In short, its not worth being illegal.

[:: Jon ::]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonyrec (original)

You forgot about producing a new MOT Cert regardless of whether or not the car is a few days old.
If 'they' put a PG9 on it then the only way to get it removed is by having an MOT and taking the Cert to the local Police Station where you will be given a Form PG10 for its removal.

In short, its not worth being illegal.

that I did

[Wooly]

Actually that makes sense about invalidating your insurance i never thought about that

Thats enough to not do it now
The dft dont exactly do much to explicitly lay down the law in black and white though, if i get a conflicting reply from them they will have a lot to answer for


But can i still have the back sides as dark as i want?

[:: Jon ::]

the back and rear sides can be any strength you like..

the companies doing it dont care so much, they wanted to charge me to take mine off even tho he insisted when i rung that in his words... "oh yes the laws have changed but it doesnt matter, they still look good" so i removed it myself..

[Paul]

Some links:

Google for "Section 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations"..

Pentagon UK: The latest changes to window tinting legislation in the UK. Car window and security glass law
UK Window Tinting Law : Tints Away, Shefiield, South Yorkshire
Over Revs are a leading mobile window tinting firm in the UK

The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2003

Basically if you get it done, you'd be breaking the law, as would the supplier, and your insurance would be voided.

[SoggyCornFlakes]

Quote: Originally Posted by Wooly (original)

Actually that makes sense about invalidating your insurance i never thought about that

Thats enough to not do it now
The dft dont exactly do much to explicitly lay down the law in black and white though, if i get a conflicting reply from them they will have a lot to answer for


But can i still have the back sides as dark as i want?

That's very sensible And you should let the supplier know he's illegal too, just in case he's not aware

[ONED]

OK, so we know it's illegal on the front !...but for those of us who want to have the rears done,.....anyone know the closest match to factory tints?...I know there's "limo" Smoked, lightly smoked etc.......

Want factory look !

[popey]

What puts me off is the gray/sliver line you get with aftermarket tints around the edge of the window. I dont have a pic but im sure you know what i mean.