Technical Legality of tints

[Jetsfan5]

The local car spares guy informed me today that tints must not alter vision by more than 15%, therefore I could only have the two back windows and the rear glass tinted, leaving the passenger/driver's and front windscreen all transparent which would look really silly. The last sporting I had was blue tinted on all windows except front windscreen. I admit you had to develop 'night vision', but I never got pulled over. The guy also said that technically it could fail an MOT, depending on the strictness of the mechanic. Any advice? I would like to tint (when I learn how), but I don't want to waste my time and money if it is going to cause trouble.

 

[Liam]

Police go by the amount of light allowed through by the tints.

They use a meter to measure it and can scrap your car if not rectified once notified of them be illegal.

Personally I think they are horrible anyway.

Liam

 

[crazy_cinq!]

I got light smoke all the way round except front windscreen of course!

And Traffic police are the only filth that can test your windows, and 90% of the time, they will just make you strip it there & then.

 

[chaos]

Legally, you can tint anything behind the B pillar - anything forward and it is technically illegal if it doesn't reach the minimum light transparency percentage for the front windows but AFAIK all the tints currently on the market would be too dark.

 

[mase]

basically as far as i am aware, the front sides have to let at least 70% of the light through... some companies light smoke is 35% tint, so only letting 65% of the light through, makin them illegal, and some newer cars are bein made with a 5% tint as standard, so even if u find a company who can do 30% tints, on a new car those might still be illegal.

if u are caught and they turn out to be illegal, u usually got 7 days to remove them and proove it!!!

 

[paulbfd]

From a bikers point ot view, there are 3 things the Police don't like (as they are illegal):

1: Loud exhausts

2. Dark visors

3. Small number plates

Let me tell you, 80% of bikes have race exhausts on, 50% ride around with dark visors on (during the day) but very few have small number plates.

So long as you are not riding like a tit, the exhaust / visor issue is not really a problem, but the small number plate is (as it can't be read by the fancy equipment they have).

I think the same would probably apply in this situation, so long as you are not driving like a loony and give no reason to be pulled over, then you'll probably get away with tinted windows.

 

[mase]

From a bikers point ot view, there are 3 things the Police don't like (as they are illegal):

1: Loud exhausts

2. Dark visors

3. Small number plates

Let me tell you, 80% of bikes have race exhausts on, 50% ride around with dark visors on (during the day) but very few have small number plates.

So long as you are not riding like a tit, the exhaust / visor issue is not really a problem, but the small number plate is (as it can't be read by the fancy equipment they have).

I think the same would probably apply in this situation, so long as you are not driving like a loony and give no reason to be pulled over, then you'll probably get away with tinted windows.

quite true.

i actually know a traffic cop and he says the three things they usually pull modded cars over for (apart from bad driving) are!

1. really dark tints
2. really loud exhausts
3. illegal font on number plates

he says they usually pull suspicious cars over with really really dark tints cause it hids what is goin on inside the car which make them think the driver has somethin to hide!

so as was said, if u dont drive like a pled and redline your car in every single gear / generally act like a t**t, u wont get as much hassle from the cops for slightly illegal things on your car. example i have bright blue led sidelights which arent road legal, and i have never (touches wood) had any problems from the old bill because of them!

 

[minislapper]

I think the same would probably apply in this situation, so long as you are not driving like a loony and give no reason to be pulled over, then you'll probably get away with tinted windows.

If someone has 'illegal' tints but nobody has pulled them over to point this out......I wonder how the insurance company would react in the event of an accident ?????

If you are hell bent on doing it, probably best to check:

a) with the local plod and,
b) with your insurance company.

 

[BroomYellow]

From a bikers point ot view, there are 3 things the Police don't like (as they are illegal):

1: Loud exhausts

2. Dark visors

3. Small number plates.

4. Bikers Full stop

Paul's right. Adding things like tints to your windscreens only give the local filth an excuse to pull you over and go to town on your car (bald tyres, naff brakes etc.)

I never did see what the point of illegal visors was on a bike (I know I know this aint the right site to make this point, but it could have some relevancy) - If its too bright in your car, get a pair of shades. At least they are easy to take off if you go through a tunnel. This seems to be the main reason they have outlawed black visors on bikes. Strangely enough though you can drive around with dark shades on all day and will never get pulled by the feds...

 

[cinqy_smurf]

black visors are handy since they don't let the sun in around the lenses like shades do, and they look smart too

i like the idea of tints in windows cos they stop the local chavscum from seeing what i might have left on my backseats/ICE etc...

 

[paulbfd]

*** straying off topic slightly ***

At least car drivers can legally have loud exhausts, as a biker, I think that rule sucks.

There's a a slogan "Loud pipes save lives" and it's true to some exent, if you can hear a car / bike coming, you'll look both ways!

And dark visors are a God send (and look cool!)

*** back on topic ***

 

[robcento]

anything on front windows is illegal. technically. if your nice enough to police and dont act like a twt you can usually get around it, like my dad hehe. i was thinking of getting the fading tints and applying them sideways (dark at rear, light at front) to take away the van look, this still woudlnt be perfectly legal but its better...

 

[Liam]

i like the idea of tints in windows cos they stop the local chavscum from seeing what i might have left on my backseats/ICE etc...

I'd say it just gives them more reason to have a looksie vecause they can't see, either stick it in the boot or take it with you or risk loosing it.

Liam

 

[gaz.d]

was at a chav cruise last weekend and saw LEGAL limo black tints on the front windows

they cut an opening in it, much like a border around the window, it looked quite cool , police couldnt do a thing about it

 

[Jetsfan5]

Thanks - that's as clear as mud, judging by the differing opinions. I know this is sexist but (touch wood) I have never been pulled over by the Police - I think they tend to leave girlies alone. I don't drive like a twit and just wanted to give my cinq its own personality like my last one that had blue tints. Don't want to lower it cos I want to be able to drive over speed humps not rock on top of them. Can't add a tail pipe to my exhaust cos it is oval and don't want to replace the whole thing until necessary, so tints was an option. I also need to replace my steering wheel - is a standard cinq steering wheel the same as a sporting?

 

[minislapper]

The sporting steering wheel is leather. I got one on Charlie

If you fancy something different, why not get some stickers made up?

 

[gaz.d]

word on the street is that the ff sticker is the new and best mod of 2005

 

[Jetsfan5]

Thanks I currently have a sporting wheel - it is leather, but I don't know what the standard steering wheel is like. I rang Kelvedon Autos (as per recommendation from the forum) and they only have the standard one. I also need a drivers seat, but they haven't got one of those either. Going back to the tints are they easy to fit? Air was blue yesterday when I tried putting a fader sun strip on!!! :bang: Got any piccies of the FF stickers Gaz?

 

[minislapper]

https://www.fiatforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4311

Standard non-sporting steering wheel is same size etc but plastic instead of leather. Not as nice.

 

[Randomman]

Funny, the guy at the bottem of my street doenst ever get pulled over and he has illegal tints, a large exhaust and from what I've seen drive like a twt

But then he is 45 and it is a Renault Espace

Yeah you heard, Espace