I've just been done by the Police

[muller1]

Tints

This seems to be typical of modern British Policing. Where is the common sense factor?

Some of the policing I read about in the UK these days (via the net) is laughable to say the least. I read about cars being nicked and plenty of other serious motoring crimes being committed on a daily basis and yet the UK police seem to have time to stop people for dubious light transmission, through lightly tinted windows, as fitted to a car such as Dave's! Isn't this just stupid policing?

Surely plod can make a sensible judgement call on the car they will pull... something like 'easy on the light tint on a car that looks well kept and being driven sensibly' or alternately 'lets nail the Astra boy in fully blacked out car driving like a nance', whom the law was probably adjusted to nail in the first instance.

Yes, the law is the law and it should be enforced (in theory) but as the traffic police clearly can't seem to enforce all of it 100% of the time then they may be better spending their time attempting to nail the worst motoring offenders rather than piddly stuff like this.

I am sure that a slight tint will not attract any attention whatsoever.
The problem lies with DARKER tints and by that I think you will find that even 10% darker than specs will attract no attention whatsoever.
If the tint is VERY dark then by all means action should be taken and normally the driver is ticketed to remove the DARK tint within a week or so.
My son is a traffic officer and he has checked the tints of BOY Racers when the have been stopped for other things and have an attitude, then all the checks are done.
My cars have tints and are quite subtle but are not the BLACKED out glass that the latest trend seems to indicate.
If you are on a motor cycle or passing a junction in your car in the evening and an emerging car hits you and it has DARKENED glass and the driver says he never saw you I think you would understand the reasoning behind the ban on DARK, glass not factory tints.

Regards.

Mike

 

[muller1]

Tints

Yes any tinting film on the front windows is going to push most people with tinted glass already on their car over the accepted transmitted light figure.

There are many benefits to tinting windows with film though.

Security, people cant see in easily and also the film makes the glass difficult to break.

It also dramatically reduces the temperature inside the car when its parked in the summer , making it more pleasant for pets and meaning your air con doesnt have to work as hard so saving fuel. In the event of an accident it reduces the amount of flying glass.

As to the security side dark tinted glass only means that someone looking in cannot see the driver or passenger and the driver and passenger cannot see out easily. If you are a police officer trying to see what is going on during a stop dark glass makes it difficult and roadside camerea cannot recognise the driver.

If your fear is the side glasses being broken you can fit clear film or have laminated glass fitted if you are so concerned.
Most modern cars have laminated front screens and tougheneg glass in the other windows and does not "fly" as the side windows just crumble like sugar and not flying shards like house glass.

With or without tinted glass pets should not be left in a closed car in summer, the windows should all be rolled down a couple of inches.
I do not think you could easily measure the fuel used by your air con with the tint compared to without the tint.

Regards.

Mike

 

[muller1]

I dont think so

Apparently a police force can go hunting for revenue into another police forces county.

Police have to ask for permission to go into an other force's area and then only if in persuit of a criminal or stolen vehicle as they are all on different radio channels and have to get permission to change frequencies they are not on the prowl for revenue raising as the fines go to the area the bust was made in.

Well this is how it works in Scotland and possibly England is the same.

Mike

 

[muller1]

Visors

We can't have darkened front windows because we need to be able to see motorbikes approaching from the left or the right whilst we are waiting to enter a main road. Strange though, the rider of the motorbike is more than likely to have one of those near black visors that make them look like aliens than a clear one ....

Motor cycle visors come under the exact same light emission ruling and if the visor is any darker than a car side window it is an offence.

Regards.

Mike

 

[cleverdicky]

What about high transmissive mirror tint. I had some on the back of a van. Couldn't see in - but clear as day on the inside.

 

[johnboy615]

Surely it would have to be a REALLY dark tint not to recognise Alan Stubbs' huge snozzle????

 

[muller1]

Tints

What about high transmissive mirror tint. I had some on the back of a van. Couldn't see in - but clear as day on the inside.

I spoke to my son (Traffic Cop) and asked him.
The law rules ONLY on light transmission on the wondscreen and drivers and passenger windows from outside to inside, not inside to outside and I asked him about Mirror Tints also.
If they cannot see in that is not an offence, the only offence is if the light transmission from outside to inside is less than 75% on the windscreen and 70% from outside to inside on the drivers and passengers side windows.
On a factory tinted windscreen there is an arrow, line and a code on both sides of the windscreen and below the arrow and line that is the point tinting is measured from below this line, above it does not count,

Regards.
Mike

 

[esterill]

Some things I don't understand about tinted front windows:

Why bother? Why do people pay extra for this. I genuinely do not understand. I would have thought being able to see well in all light conditions is the best way to avoid any problems like hitting hidden obstacles or other drivers. If the sun is too bright, slip on some sunglasses. If you go into a tunnel, take them off. So what if people can see you driving. No-one is interested anyway. If you are worried about being pulled by plod then don't do anything out of the ordinary to your car to attract their attention. The police know from experience that those with blinged up wheels, tinted windows, fat exhausts etc. are more likely to be worth pulling. Sad but true.
The real criminals are probably running around in nice clean standard Mondeos with full license, insurance and tax!

 

[Dosco]

Okay so what about wearing a Burka then does not that restrict vision:?:

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Okay so what about wearing a Burka then does not that restrict vision:?:

I have never actually thought of you in a Burka Roger, but now that you mention it ............

 

[Dosco]

I have never actually thought of you in a Burka Roger, but now that you mention it ............

There you are Alex - full of Eastern promise as the add used to say

 

[Alex M Grieve]

There you are Alex - full of Eastern promise as the add used to say

Is that the same as BS - or is there a subtle difference?

 

[Dosco]

Is that the same as BS - or is there a subtle difference?

subtle difference - of course

 

[hawk20]

I spoke to my son (Traffic Cop) and asked him.
The law rules ONLY on light transmission on the wondscreen and drivers and passenger windows from outside to inside, not inside to outside and I asked him about Mirror Tints also.
If they cannot see in that is not an offence, the only offence is if the light transmission from outside to inside is less than 75% on the windscreen and 70% from outside to inside on the drivers and passengers side windows.
On a factory tinted windscreen there is an arrow, line and a code on both sides of the windscreen and below the arrow and line that is the point tinting is measured from below this line, above it does not count,

Regards.
Mike

Well I would ask him again. Previous threads have made it clear that you can only meet the legal requirement by having untinted glass in the front door windows (and windscreen). Because the light transmitted through normal car glass is only just above the legal requirement. Can't remeber where but in one thread someone put up links to experts making this clear. DofT ? Road Reaseach Lab?

Surely only a fool would want to reduce the visibility through the windows the driver needs to see through on a regular basis.

 

[Dosco]

Surely only a fool would want to reduce the visibility through the windows the driver needs to see through on a regular basis.

Sadly Hawk the roads are littered with such fools in particular those that insist on wearing extremely dark 'sun specs' during grey dull days not to mention at night - however if they were asked to refrain from wearing them a claim of infringement of there human rights would be the response.