Window Tint! Legal or not?

gjb02 · Post by **gjb02** » 22 May 2005, 04:39

Window tinting appears to be more and more common of late, with fleets of school taxis (4x4's driven by housewives!) driving about and not forgetting the Chavs, you can't drive down the road without seeing a handfull of cars with tinted windows.
My question is, with the recent ammendment to the law regarding the front side windows, why don't manufacturers tell you what level the standard tint is? Most aftermarket DIY tint comes in; Light Smoke, Dark Smoke and Limo.
If a light smoke tint reduces light by 25% approx. and the standard tint reduces light by a further 10% approx, then you have exceed the 30% light reduction limit for front windows.
And yet you see a lot of vehicles with the front side windows tinted, are they legal or not???
Need to know because I may have to get the scraper out!![:I]

reblack68 · Post by **reblack68** » 22 May 2005, 13:35

I don't know for sure but I imagine there is some procedure involving a light meter to determine the level of tint.

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 22 May 2005, 17:34

It is a case of 'light penertration' some Police patrol cars were reported as having a light meter that could tell the exact amount of tinting on the windows. It's the same kind of meter as used in the paint industry for measuring how light penetrates and therefor how it looks to the naked eye.

DoubleChevron · Post by **DoubleChevron** » 22 May 2005, 17:52

I'd love to put a really dark tint on my CX. Even better would be one of the tints the almost completely prevents heat coming through. CX's are a bloody awful place to be if the sun is out, especially when you have no air-con.
seeya,
Shane L.

Dave Bamber · Post by **Dave Bamber** » 22 May 2005, 21:14

I've got tinted windows on the BX, I've not been stopped yet. I gave my insurance company a ring to let them know and they note it on my cover note as a body modification at no extra charge.

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 22 May 2005, 21:49

Add to that your Photochromatic specs and you can lose 30dB of light.(999/1000!) Only the dynamic range of the Mk1 eyeball will save you.
I'd like a nice silver tint on my glass for the BX but I'll stick to the factory tint.
Many people have their cars just too dark. More fool them. Nature's way of weeding out the stupid.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 22 May 2005, 23:04

Tints are useful when you've got the sun shining in your eyes, but not a whole lot of help when you're trying to see where you're going at night with MK1 Xantia dipped beams.

wheeler · Post by **wheeler** » 23 May 2005, 05:14

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Stuart McB</i>

It is a case of 'light penertration' some Police patrol cars were reported as having a light meter that could tell the exact amount of tinting on the windows. It's the same kind of meter as used in the paint industry for measuring how light penetrates and therefor how it looks to the naked eye.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
the device used for checking tints is called a tintman & is used to take readings at 3 different points on the glass at the same time,at the moment its not the police that carry them its the VOSA guys.the traffics are just there to pull you over.speaking to a VOSA guy recently he was saying that the average factory tint is around 25% already so just about any additional tint is likely to make you go over the 30% limit.
my solution to this is i fitted a switch under my dash that cuts off the power to the electric window relay,if i see a checkpoint set up just put the windows down & flick the switch,they then see that the back ones are tinted & ask you to put you front windows up "no problem officer... wait,something seems to be wrong my windows wont go up try it for yourself if you dont believe me[:p] you cant test a tint that you cant see [}:)] . as far as im aware there is no legal requirement to have fron windows on your car.
if you do get stopped & tested make sure that they calibrate the meter first with the test glass,make sure that they clean the windows inside and out at the points where they are taking the readings and ask to see that the low battery warning isnt on on the meter.

Ross_K · Post by **Ross_K** » 23 May 2005, 05:33

http://www.accringtonobserver.co.uk/new ... _dark.html

gjb02 · Post by **gjb02** » 23 May 2005, 17:44

Driving to work this morning the birds were singing, there was a light breeze and the brightess beaming sunlight I have ever had the pleasure to see.
Only thing was, I couldn't see anything else, I was effectively partially blinded by the brightness of the sun. Then I rolled up my windows and regained my vision, partially at least. So window tinting was an effective driving aid, ensuring my ability to see other road users. I have more than felt the benefit of this in late autumn and spring when the sun is really low in the sky.[8D]
So why because a motorcyclist* was killed late at night, by a car with windows so darkly tinted that the driver couldn't have seen the bike during the day, let alone at night should I be prosecuted for having lightly smoked tint on my windows.
Who came up with 30%....Mr.Magoo ??
It seems the people who come up with these regulations have again cart-blanched window tinting as a road safety hazard.
My tint reduces sun glare, helps keep me and my dogs cool and calm, and keeps the thieving scum from seeing too much in my car.
I hardly drive at night, but when I do I see out through my tints perfectly well.
Just another way to have a go at motorists I feel.
*Sympathy to the family of the motorcylist killed.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 23 May 2005, 17:56

You may have a sensible tint on your windows but not everybody does, I've seen some cars with very dark tints, fine for bright sunny weather but dangerous at other times.
Personally, I wear sun glasses when driving, in fact my only pair of sun glasses live in my car, the advantage these have over tints is that when the sun is bright, I can put them on, then when the sun goes away, I can take them off again. I was driving earlier in the week in the sun so I had the sun glasses on, very quickly the weather changed, the clouds descended and it started raining very heavily. I couldn't see very far at all, my sunglasses aren't very dark but taking them off made the difference between being able to see well enough to drive safely and not being able to see at all. Under those circumstances a tinted windscreen could be dangerous.

citroenzx · Post by **citroenzx** » 23 May 2005, 18:24

Well put kowalski.
if you want your dogs to stay cool then tint you rear windows and put a lighter tint in the front, if your getting a lot of glare from the sun then a pair of sunglasses will do.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 23 May 2005, 18:56

I think tinted windscreens affect my driving at night amnd am sure I could see more before I had cars with even a standard tint.
No problem with heavily tinted windows behind the driver - after all they are no worse than a panel van and providing you remember to draw up square to junctions visibility is fine.
Jeremy

James.UK · Post by **James.UK** » 23 May 2005, 19:26

Some years ago i bought a car with a clip-on green tinted visor, I still have it. Its very like the normal sun visor except it is made of green tinted plastic and just clips onto the existing visor. It has a seperate sliding piece about 3 inches long made of the same material that you can slide from end to end to double the amount of tinting if needed, that is usefull on a long straight as you can "cover" the actual sun without affecting the rest of your vision.
The green clipon also 'swings' in the same way that a visor does, and can be folded back up to lie flat behind the normal visor when not needed.
.
I dont know who made it, or what firm sold it, but I find it a very usefull piece of kit. [:)] Between the swivel ability of the normal visor and the green clipon attached to it I can cover any source of bright light coming through my front windows. [^]

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 23 May 2005, 19:30

Airliners have a small pane of tinted glass/perpsex that the pilot will place "over the sun" when flying so the pilots can see when the sun is in their eyes.