42Haya

I got stopped just outside Blackpool bank holiday morning and given a £30 fine for my tinted windows. The copper was a nice bloke, although it took him 40mins to find the offence code .

Then i continued my 4 hour drive back to Essex!

Isn't it funny though that they've been like it for 4 years? None of the local police have mentioned a word to me.

My question is, obviously i'm going to pay the £30 fine, but what happens if i don't take them off? Will i just get a £30 fine next time or will i be due for some points also?

I didn't think they looked too dark..

coswurv

iTrader: (8)

Did he test them with that light thingy, if not how can he fine you they might of passed the test.

Ed1

I would just leave them on, They will just give you another fine if stopped again, I had the same problem with my van a few years back, I got a £30 pound fine for it then i just left it on and never heard anything since then!

pani_k

iTrader: (1)

Did he use a machine to measure how much light they let through? I don't think they can do anything just by going "by eye". The back windows it don't matter but I think at the front you are only allowed up to a 25 (or 35?)% tint or something, I forget what the law is regarding these exactly. One copper tried to be funny about my front tints (which are basically barely smoked) and told him to do one because I knew without doubt that they were not illegal.

42Haya

They came up 35 - 38% (of light went through) .. Windscreen came up 76%.

He said anything less than 30% and he'd have my car off me, its a long walk back from Blackpool!

I think i'll leave them on, £30 every 4 years isn't too bad for the benefit

Ed1

What is the problem with the police these days, what is wrong with some tits slightly too dark, he must have been bored!

It's Czech Mate

Wait till you cause an accident and you have these on the car.......it might not happen, but it might.

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

I got a prohibition notice on my car for tints, first time I was pulled for it aswell. Sounds like you were lucky!

If I were you i'd get them removed.....

Less.

Think the side windows have to let 75% of light through

Rick Astley

Blackpool is not over the other side of the world, police forces will talk to one another and one day you may end up having your car taken off you.

Also if your car is involved in an accident with a pedestrian and it's noticed you have received a fine in regards to this in the past you could find your insurer adding this to their list of excuses along with a fantastic compensation claim from the pedestrian.

End of the day there is a reason why you don't have tints on the front windows as it's the only way you can possibly see out the front.

Copper did a good job and was perfectly within his rights to fine you, normally they ask you to prove to them your going to remove them eventually by removing a small area, he did you a favour there!

S1rst

At the end of the day there illegal. In fact, anything other than a factory tint will be illegal. Whether they 'should' be illegal or not is a different story.

I got done for £30 in my lexus with front tints to match the rears. I had to take the car to vosa to have them checked with a notice to rip the tints out. I never had any visibilty issues with the tints in so i cant see the problem.

In my opinion its one of the most stupid laws ever, based on their reason of it being a saftey issue. How come your allowed to wear sunglasses then? same with tinted visors on bikes, there illegal, but it actually makes it safer with a tinted visor! But, its perfectly legal to wear shades. Go figure.

S1rst

Yes its the law, but thats not really a valid reason when its perfectly legal to wear shades.

Turbosystems

iTrader: (5)

you can take your sun glasses off at night

S1rst

You can wind your windows down at night.

JokerDisco

iTrader: (4)

Good Point about the sunglasses etc, but I thought the main reason for them being illegal is that the visibility when its dark is greatly reduced. You don't wear sunglasses at night - unless your a twat that is.

S1rst

As above though mate, you can still wind your windows down.

nutty

really and turely the law wasnt brought in because off visibility it was brought in because the police couldnt see in your car and know what you were doing.
i have had tints in most off my cars and i dont think tints change anything but that is just me.

D16PJM

The copper should transfer to london knightsbridge, just about every range rover sports and mercedes has tinted windows and darker than yours, at least we can all sleep tight knowing you'v been caught

Benni

Classic.

JokerDisco

iTrader: (4)

I dont see many cars out there with a wind down front screen??? As the law applies to front screen and both front side screens the driver looks through.

S1rst

Agreed, and yes that is the real reason im sure, but they just use this safety bollocks to try and justify it to the public.

S1rst

Of course the front screen should not be tinted, but who on earth is stupid enough to tint their front screen. No doubt some plonkers do though im sure.

Turbosystems

iTrader: (5)

you are either an owl or blind

Ed1

cj_rst

What about looking through tints while wearing sunglasses? That's like 2 pairs of sunglasses at the same time, so on a nice sunny day you can see straight ahead ok but not to the sides where pedestrians/cats etc will clog up your wheelarches! At the end of the day, it's illegal, so best to take the warning, pay your fine, remove the tints and drive around knowing you won't get caught again

nutty

i did say that was just me it is each to there own
but oh yer sorry forgot you cant have an far say on here

neil73

i valeted a bmw m3 convertable with the front screen tinted with light smoke tint,

Alps Pacino

Cause these plastic pimps are the ones who pull out on me and nearly kill me when i'm riding my bike cause they cant see out of there mega tinted side windows at junctions

dan-dan

iTrader: (1)

rears can be as dark as possible thats what i was told by a police officer anyway

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

True - rear glass and rear side windows behind the driver can be painted over with hammerite if you wish

OvaBoost

The tints on that mini dont look much atall, i get stopped all the time round my way and ive never had mine mentioned to me

kitted_escort

when i asked a copper about 3 4 years ago about tinted windows, he said any thing from the B post to the boot can be dark as you like, from the B post to the engine you cant has tints

kevin

Assaid be aware if you have accident (no insurance)

42Haya

The policeman that stopped me said from B pillar back you can have them as dark as you like, the front windscreen and sides would of had a factory tint to the glass to bring them down to the 70's.

TIFF

Window tint law--

"The legal position is that the front side windows on all cars must allow 70% of light to pass through them. That figure also applies to the windscreens of cars first used before April 1985; any car first used from then onwards has to let 75% of light through the windscreen. Any window from the B Pillar back can be tinted to any level"

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

When I had the prohibition notice slapped on my car for tints, i took them off and had to take the car to a vosa inspector to have them tested, and the standard ford glass was to within 0.5% of the legal limit.

The thick cunt put the light meter thing right on top of the black square of writing in the bottom corner of the glass first, that bought it right down!

rog

iTrader: (2)

Had tints in my cossie since i bought it almost 9 years ago, NEVER been stoped although i don't know why, seems to be getting more anal these days though. My new daily runabout also has tints, was like that when i bought it and i think they are illegal but it had only 1700miles on the clock, but they do look pretty dark.
Like stated above, I know it's illegal, why is my question! I don't believe for one minute that it restricts your visibility and it's a real safety issue, it's not as if it's blackout tints. It's no darker at night, and better during a sunny day. I won't take them off unless i have to, even if i get stopped for it.