Feds Aarrggghhh!

[Fwazz]

Hi all,

Just wanted to have a little rant. I was minding my own business driving down the M1 the other day when the next thing i know the boys in blue are behind me, then deciding to pull me over. I got an on the spot £30 fine for my front windows being tinted to roughly 32 percent. Just wondered if any one else has been done for it recently and if you know what would happen say if i didnt remove them and got done again??????

[cabcurtains]

Hi all,

Just wanted to have a little rant. I was minding my own business driving down the M1 the other day when the next thing i know the boys in blue are behind me, then deciding to pull me over. I got an on the spot £30 fine for my front windows being tinted to roughly 32 percent. Just wondered if any one else has been done for it recently and if you know what would happen say if i didnt remove them and got done again??????

Did they give you a form to take to a MOT centre within 7 days and get your car tested? If they did the tints would have to come out or the car would fail and then ultimatley get crushed! If they didnt and you leave them in, i expect you would get a £30 fine every time a copper decides to do you for them. However if its not endorsable on your licence with points you wont get banned!

My brother is a copper in derbyshire i will ask him, i doubt he did you though as he isnt petty like some!

[mac12]

Sorry to hear that.

The problem is that I am pretty certain that all film front windows are illegal full stop.

It's been like that for a while now.

It's strange however, that some cars some with tints standard - maybe because the glass is tinted rather film tinted.

[T600]

I thought the law was that fronts must have at least 70% visibility.

Which only makes front tints illegal 'in effect' because almost any film applied to a standard modern glass results in less visibility than that.

Are you saying they measured the visibility and it was 68% Fwazz - if that's the case then I'm surprised they ticketed you because that's so close to the limit.

Or do you have 30% tints on top of normal glass, in which case you'll be well into illegal territory, and it's no wonder they stopped you.

[flumpsfriend]

I thought the law was that fronts must have at least 70% visibility.

That's correct 70% on the front side windows and since 1986 75% through the windscreen.

The front windows normally have some protective coating to protect against UV etc so off-the-self windows will not be 100% transparent so whatever coating is applied must be added to the standard and the total must be less than the above figures

[Jock Fran]

Sorry, but I'm glad they pulled you over.

I hate it when cars pull up to junctions/roundabouts with tinted front windows - you can't tell if the driver has seen you or not.

They're dangerous.

[Parts-King]

Some coppers carry a light meter in the car to check you out. I'm not sure they could ticket you without knowing the exact limit on your car??? Personally speaking, heavy chav tints need to be banned, they are dangerous and not enough is done to remove them from the road, and while I'm at it........Dodgy number plates with weird fonts and spacings........... :ban:

Kingo

[Fwazz]

Right... To be honest, they are not completely black. You can see me pretty well to be honest. They are not that dark that pedestrians etc could not see me. Also the copper that did me said that it has to be 75% of the light that gets through. My windows let through app 32% so pretty illegal yeh! The machine he used basically sits either side of your window when its halfway down and tests the light going through. If anyone has ever been told that if the police can shine a torch through one side and see it on the other side then you will be ok, they're wrong. Basically I don't want to remove them as they look really good and you can still see me. I don't see why it should be a problem????

[T600]

So you have only 32% visibility

Therefore highly illegal and you think the police shouldn't have pulled you? Do you think the laws are just for everyone else.

Get them removed, or expect to be stopped again soon. I won't bother going back over the reasons because several good ones were already posted above.

[borodaz]

lol keep em keep em :) if they didnt give you a producer then i would keep em untill i get one, then remove them.

i agree they make the car look loads better.

its when it gets to night time that it may make matters worse as u certainly cant see whos driving then.

[tccom]

Hi all,

Just wanted to have a little rant. I was minding my own business driving down the M1 the other day when the next thing i know the boys in blue are behind me, then deciding to pull me over. I got an on the spot £30 fine for my front windows being tinted to roughly 32 percent. Just wondered if any one else has been done for it recently and if you know what would happen say if i didnt remove them and got done again??????

Did they give you a form to take to a MOT centre within 7 days and get your car tested? If they did the tints would have to come out or the car would fail and then ultimatley get crushed! If they didnt and you leave them in, i expect you would get a £30 fine every time a copper decides to do you for them. However if its not endorsable on your licence with points you wont get banned!

My brother is a copper in derbyshire i will ask him, i doubt he did you though as he isnt petty like some!

sorry mate but there is no provision in the mot test to fail tinted front windows.not as yet anyway.

[Fwazz]

No they were saying that the mot testing stations don't have the device to measure window transparency. correct- i work in a garage with one. its not a case of not thinking they shouldn't have pulled me, its the fact that there are plenty more worse crimes commited than having windows which are too dark- even though you can still be seen

[T600]

there are plenty more worse crimes commited than having windows which are too dark

Certainly.

They no doubt hoped to get you for a lot more. They spot one illegal thing and it's an excuse to stop you. Then before you've said "evening officer" they've checked your car has insurance and in who's name, who it's registered to, what previous you have etc. Quick visual check of your tyres as they walk over to the car, and then your breath as soon as you wind the window down.

So dark tints = lots of stops.

On the positive side there's more chance the police will recover your car if it's stolen, and if it only costs you £30 every few months, then it's cheaper than buying a tracker. Result.

[mac12]

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repository...mp;id=480ec6b17

http://www.pentagonglasstech.com/the-law.php

Here is the legislation if anyone wants to read it. The second says something like no film allowed in the front windows.

And now I know that if garage or dealer sells a car with tints - they are actually breaking the law! (says the VOSA).

[Parts-King]

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repository...mp;id=480ec6b17

http://www.pentagonglasstech.com/the-law.php

Here is the legislation if anyone wants to read it. The second says something like no film allowed in the front windows.

And now I know that if garage or dealer sells a car with tints - they are actually breaking the law! (says the VOSA).

To be clear,(No pun inteded ) this only applies to front windows, cars with legal rear tints are legal to sell

I still cant think of any good reason to tint front/side windows, apart from the chav effect :D:

Kingo

[cabcurtains]

Firstly i dont really like front window tints and i really hate dodgy fonts on reg plates, but is it illegal to wear a ballaclava when driving or with a bag over your head with the eyes cut out? You wouldnt see the driver then!

I know this isnt constructive

[Parts-King]

Firstly i dont really like front window tints and i really hate dodgy fonts on reg plates, but is it illegal to wear a ballaclava when driving or with a bag over your head with the eyes cut out? You wouldnt see the driver then!

I know this isnt constructive

Best laugh I've had today, not at all constructive but who cares :lol:

Kingo

[T600]

but is it illegal to wear a ballaclava when driving or with a bag over your head with the eyes cut out?

You'll probably get more than a £30 fine for the former these days. Your car will look like that one that Jezza shot to pieces in last year's DVD.

There's quite a few people who should be doing the latter though.

[flumpsfriend]

There's quite a few people who should be doing the latter though.

[mac12]

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repository...mp;id=480ec6b17

http://www.pentagonglasstech.com/the-law.php

Here is the legislation if anyone wants to read it. The second says something like no film allowed in the front windows.

And now I know that if garage or dealer sells a car with tints - they are actually breaking the law! (says the VOSA).

To be clear,(No pun inteded ) this only applies to front windows, cars with legal rear tints are legal to sell

I still cant think of any good reason to tint front/side windows, apart from the chav effect :D:

Kingo

Hehe I know it only applies to the front.

It's funny though isn't it? Front tints are illegal but is wearing sunglasses at night illegal?

[Parts-King]

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repository...mp;id=480ec6b17

http://www.pentagonglasstech.com/the-law.php

Here is the legislation if anyone wants to read it. The second says something like no film allowed in the front windows.

And now I know that if garage or dealer sells a car with tints - they are actually breaking the law! (says the VOSA).

To be clear,(No pun inteded ) this only applies to front windows, cars with legal rear tints are legal to sell

I still cant think of any good reason to tint front/side windows, apart from the chav effect :D:

Kingo

Hehe I know it only applies to the front.

It's funny though isn't it? Front tints are illegal but is wearing sunglasses at night illegal?

Its a mad world, sunglasses are probably OK ??? but a heavy tint on a motorbike visor is just as illegal, and being a biker, trust me, you need a tinted visor in summer

Kingo

[Fwazz]

Well i would agree. To be fair, even though im slightly straying from the point it should be illegal to wear sunglasses indoors too----- You look--- like a pillock!!!! haha sorry to offend! I agree though a £30 fine once in a while isn't too bad, just as long as they don't decide to do anything a bit harsher! Also my tints arent chavvy i just think cars look a bit daft with dark back windows and clear front. But hey thats just my opinion!

B)

[Jock Fran]

Someone's just been pulled on Traffic Cops on BBC 1 and they made them remove them at the roadside. They said it was 3 point too.

Get them off. They're illegal for a reason.

In my opinion it's not the ability to see out (you can usually see out fine), it's the people not being able to see in. I find it very disconcerting if I'm on a road and see a car with front tints approaching a junction - I like to be able to see people's movements so I know they've seen me.

[UKDM323]

Hmm jst qucikly read through this topic, i thought they had to use one of these torch things to prove its illegal tint?? its like them suspecting u were speeding, & then a fine & 3 points to make it worse if you wernt speeding, i myself never stand for that! unless they had a speed gun or if i was speeding then fair do's ! cant understand why even lightest shade of tint be illegal, ok some darker ones someone said be unsafe but cant see that on the lightest shade i owned 2 cars with tinted front windows & had no trouble seeing out of even in the dark & just getting the rear windows tinted & leaving front ones is crap anyway, for a start it make the car look like a van, jst picture a 3dr CTS black paint work & getting only rear windows tinted part of reason why im not bothering with tints at this stage!

[flumpsfriend]

Someone's just been pulled on Traffic Cops on BBC 1 and they made them remove them at the roadside. They said it was 3 point too.

watched that too - it was a great big black Range Rover :D