The police 'v' Tints

[monkimagic]

Hi All

Been down the cop shop today to report my Cooper getting keyed and the police officer asked me when he saw the car,

Are you thinking of getting tinted windows, I said no as this was clearly a loaded question !!!

He said "right answer" and I asked why,( I knew why ) He told me this will be against the law in a few weeks.

I said , "but you wont bother much about that" and boy what a look he give me, clearly I was wrong but I asked again just to be sure and he told me he has been to John Clarke to get these removed from the options list, then with a look of a bad muthaf***er he said "and I will stop and summonds anyone with tinted windows", at the risk of pushing my luck I asked "how can you enforce this", he told me "owners of cars with tinted windows will be given two weeks to produce their cars at the police station with the tints removed, if they do not they will be fined", at this point our conversation on this matter was finished as he was scaring me. It was over by him saying, "watch out mini drivers", this is when I left !!!!!!!

This man clearly has issues but beware ;)!!!!!! http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/sydenham/134/monkey.gif

[minidriver#1]

its been illegalsince last tuesday as i found out :(

howeve, window tints on hte back 3 windows remain legal. No tint at all is allowed on the front windows. This is due to a minority of numb nuts that drive around using just their front window to see the road since their front tints are too dark.

There have ben a vareity of accidents / incidents involving tints and which have been blamed on tints. thin kteh uk is the only country enforcing such a law at the present time.

[duncan]

To be honest, its time the feds started clamping down on illegal car mods.
Its about time those blue led windsecreen washers, and number plates with illegal fonts, especially the fancy scripted ones, are stopped.

As for tinted windows, there could be a good claim against the owner of the vehicle and the place that fitted the tints if an accident occurs and they're proved to be a factor.
In that case safety should come first.

However, i have often wondered about the legality of police cars fitted with headlights that alternate in flashing, as they are only displaying one light at a time, does that not constitute a moving traffic offence????

[broken_brian]

quote:Originally posted by KJ_innit

its been illegalsince last tuesday as i found out :(


thin kteh uk is the only country enforcing such a law at the present time.


it is also the same in germany that is why they only darken the glass on the 3 rear windows. parent company being german and all that

but how does the law affect cars that have the 2 front windows tinted as a factory option like my mates vauxhall ashtray are they going to make him replace the two windows :question:

[minidriver#1]

the tints have to be removed by the manufacturer of the car or whoever, within 10 days of being stopped or at your next mot. a pain in the arse if ever there was one.

[monkimagic]

Bloody crazy, will this work be paid for by the owner or the maker, surely not the rozzers,

[Gismo]

Is the tinting illegal on any front side windows or can it be a certain percentage :( I have 25 per cent, will that be ok :( I don't think the car looks right with just the rears done, just my opinion :evil::(

[Mini Martyn]

B******s, why do they keep picking on us, I think they should make it illegal for a car (onless a classic) older than 10 years to be on the road as they are more dangerous than tinted windows!! :evil:

[Willie M]

I ordered my new MINI in November and specified the factory tints (rear 3 windows only) with the intention of getting the driver and passengers windows done aftermarket (Pentagon). Just before Xmas I became aware of this sh*t-storm and was in a real dilemma as to what I should do.

I decided to leave the front windows and see how this new legislation progressed. I'm starting to get used to the 'look' of the car with just the rear windows tinted. IMO it doesn't look too bad on the DS car but I parked next to a silver Range Rover yesterday that had rears only tints and I thought it looked horrendous :disapprove:

I can certainly see the safety implications of severe tints visibility wise but, as Duncan says there are plenty other less than legal mods that seem to go unchecked.

[Julz]

quote:Originally posted by Mini Martyn

B******s, why do they keep picking on us, I think they should make it illegal for a car (onless a classic) older than 10 years to be on the road as they are more dangerous than tinted windows!! :evil:


Does this include Herbie????:(:(

This is an issue very dear to my heart (as I have 35% tints all round!) and cannot see the arguement as to how the front side windows can be dangerous, I can see perfectly clearly out of mine and have the added benefit of sun protection in the summer!!;)
With any luck, my local bobbys will stick to the sensible approach, and only do itdiots in Novas with the self apply black cling film!!!:evil:

[Big Gordy]

I considered the factory option tints but after I saw one in the garage car park I didn't bother as I thought it made it look like a van (IMHO ;)) :p:D:approve:

[Gismo]

quote:Originally posted by Julz
I can see perfectly clearly out of mine and have the added benefit of sun protection in the summer!!;)I think the issue is more for the bobbies being able to see you in your car, just so's your not pointing an Uzi automatic at them :blackeye:

[Julz]

It's not the tints that would be a problem for them seeing me, more the fact that I'm a short ass!! Got some piccies back from the shoot on saturday, and they're moving shots, but it looks like there's nobody driving!!!:eek::D

[KenL]

I'd like to think that some research has been done and shown that visibility is reduced by the tints before they start making people take them off their cars.

I don't have them but imagine that at night they can't be good when you are pulling out of side roads etc to see another car/cyclist etc. Personally speaking, if someone ran into me and I saw their car had tinted windows I would mention it in my insurance claim.

Please don't hate me, it's just my opinion :blackeye::)

[minidriver#1]

quote:Originally posted by Bonnie Scotland

Is the tinting illegal on any front side windows or can it be a certain percentage :( I have 25 per cent, will that be ok :( I don't think the car looks right with just the rears done, just my opinion :evil::(


all front windows. The legistlation is explained on the pentagon web site i think. i think i may go ahead with mine, and just wind the windows down every time i see a police officer. heh

[Burple]

This is REALLY stupid...

mine are done (30%?) to keep it legal at the time I go the car.
What about the protection value of making it harder to break into the car? and as Julz says, the 'keep you cool' in the summer thing?

I can see the point if your windows were black, but fining someone for slight tints is ridiculous!!!:dead::dead::dead::mad::mad::disappro ve::disapprove::blackeye:

[Duncan Stewart]

Does this mean the actual front side window glass will need to be changed!? who pays for this? Several people in my work car park have nearly new cars with tinted front side windows. And what about top tint windscreen? I thought they improved safety (less sun glare blinding)

[Mini Martyn]

quote:Originally posted by Julz


quote:Originally posted by Mini Martyn

B******s, why do they keep picking on us, I think they should make it illegal for a car (onless a classic) older than 10 years to be on the road as they are more dangerous than tinted windows!! :evil:


Does this include Herbie????:(:(

This is an issue very dear to my heart (as I have 35% tints all round!) and cannot see the arguement as to how the front side windows can be dangerous, I can see perfectly clearly out of mine and have the added benefit of sun protection in the summer!!;)
With any luck, my local bobbys will stick to the sensible approach, and only do itdiots in Novas with the self apply black cling film!!!:evil:


No no, what I ment was if they are a bin i.e old novas, astras, escorts, things that are falling appart, herbie is an amazing looking car and well looked after, so I would class it as a classic (a bit like the driver!!) :D he he he

[minidriver#1]

you are allowed top tint windscreens, but there is a limit to the thickness of the strip.

I'm not sure about costs of replacing glass. Its a stupid law if you ask me as cars are still being produced with the options of factory tints.

I reccon it'll be a few months before they change the legislation. its going to be extremely difficult to uphold.

[Wul]

Well I agree with Big Col - IMHO the 3 rear windows tints = Minivan! :eek:

and tinted visors on motorcylcle helmets have been banned for years so it was an inevitability (sp!) Have you ever tried wearing sunglasses on a motorbike? :p Not a nice thing!

[zimbo]

quote:Originally posted by KenL

Personally speaking, if someone ran into me and I saw their car had tinted windows I would mention it in my insurance claim.


If anyone did run into you:eek: The tinted window thing could not be used as an excuse because, the windscreens are'nt and cannot be tinted and the driver would obviously have to be looking out of it to have driven into you! BUT if you drove into them after they pulled out in front of you, then maybe...:)
(I'm not having a go at you by the way Ken:))


Well I certainly aint going to be removing my tints, not unless I get re-imbursed first before hand!! :evil::mad:

[NeilB]

:mad:This makes me so angry!!! I got my mini at christmas and as it was a garage demo it had the rear tints done. It put me off as it looked stupid without the fronts done (kind of like a black van!!) but the garage said that i could get Pentagon to do the fronts. As long as I got them done before the law changed. I spoke to the manager of Pentagon in Stirling and he explained that this was not strictly true and it there was now a limit to the level of tint regardless of when this was put on the car. And as a by-the-way companies such as pentagon have spend thousands commissioning research which proved that upto a certain level tints did not reduce the visibility through the windows but as usual the :clown:government:clown: has just chosen to completely ignore this independent research!!! (so much for the democracy we live in!!)

Pentagon said that it was legal to put light smoke tint on the front as this equated to the 20% tint limit (and the police could check this using a light meter) - so I got it done in January. Although this is not very dark at all it does help to blend the back and front windows so that it does not stand out so much.

I am sorry but !BULL****! there is absolutely no problem at all seeing out the car with this tint on it, even at night. In fact I would say even say that this is a safety feature as it helps cut out the glare of the low winter sun and in doing so actually helps improve visibility!!! Also safer for a lone female driving!!!

:cool: OK SUNGLASSES!!!! - Are the police going to pull people over to check their sunglasses are not too dark as this is just the same, crap sunglasses would impair vision just as much....

They should maybe invest more time enforcing serious problems like clamping down on people with no MOT, no insurance or who are driving while banned?

[Starky]

Valid point NeilB, I've got tinted prescription glasses (from specsavers B.S.) and they are a bit of a hindrance going under bridges & tunnels etc. during daytime driving, did think twice about the factory fit option though.

[Big Col]

Not wanting to be argumentative but you can ake your sunglasses off at night.

[duncan]

And its always the minority that spoil it for the majority.
Also stupid people that take things far too far, thats why limits are impose to protect people.
Health and Safety is a huge industry, and a government agency have no doubt risk assessed the fitting of tints, and found a risk.

Lets face it, we live in a nanny state, due to stupid people doing stupid things, meaning the rest of us have to suffer their actions.

On the other hand, will cars with FACTORY FITTED tints have grandfather rights to keep them?
Old vehicles can still have no seatbelts, and no indicators but arms that pop out, and their road legal still.

[Willie M]

quote:Originally posted by Wul

Well I agree with Big Col - IMHO the 3 rear windows tints = Minivan! :eek:
:blackeye: <Sob.. whail..> So I guess I'm the first person on NMS with a Minivan then? :disapprove::( Humph!! Maybe I should just have bought a Sherpa 8)

[Big Gordy]

Sorry guys :I but it was me not Col re the minivan :p:D:approve:

[Duncan Stewart]

quote:Originally posted by duncan

And its always the minority that spoil it for the majority.
Also stupid people that take things far too far, thats why limits are impose to protect people.
Health and Safety is a huge industry, and a government agency have no doubt risk assessed the fitting of tints, and found a risk.

Could not agree more. Same reason that all driving is being dumbed down - traffic lights replace roundabouts, mini roundabouts at T junctions, singling of slip roads, lowered speed limits, etc, etc - to protect us from the eejits who cannot drive properly.
:evil: Rant over :) - feel much better :sleepy:

[Starky]

quote:Originally posted by Big Col
Not wanting to be argumentative but you can ake your sunglasses off at night.
Big Col, I did say "during daytime driving", methinks u need some reading specs.:cool:

[Big Col]

Ahhh but I wasn't making the point to you Starky. It was to NeilB. ;) Although I don't think the police would have any complaint about tinited windows if it was daylight 24/7. It's at night time they reduce the drivers vision and it's impossible to make an argument against this really.

[Starky]

quote:Originally posted by Big Col
Ahhh but I wasn't making the point to you Starky. It was to NeilB. ;) Although I don't think the police would have any complaint about tinited windows if it was daylight 24/7. It's at night time they reduce the drivers vision and it's impossible to make an argument against this really.

O.K. Big Col but what the f**k's tinited windows? i've got 2 pr's of gregorys anyway i only use the tints in bright sunshine.:cool:

[Starky]

quote:Originally posted by Big Col
Ahhh but I wasn't making the point to you Starky. It was to NeilB. ;) Although I don't think the police would have any complaint about tinited windows if it was daylight 24/7. It's at night time they reduce the drivers vision and it's impossible to make an argument against this really.

O.K. Big Col but what the f**k's tinited windows? i've got 2 pr's of gregorys anyway only use the tints in bright sunshine.:cool: