Tinted Windows / Police

Cunning Plan · January 02, 2010, 04:16:18 PM

My pop has just been pulled over for having tinted windows. I was not in the car so could not ask any questions to the police myself, this is all from a phone conversation.

1. He has been told to take the tint off the front windows which apparently do not meet the minimum transparent requirement.

2. His MOT has been revoked and has to get a new one.

3. The policeman said that he wanted to take the vehicle off the road there and then. After some negotiation my pop had to drive home with the windows down with my Mom in the car freezing cold.

4. He then tried to say the front windscreen was tinted (is 100% isn't) and had been replaced by Autowindscreens a few weeks earlier for a new stock windscreen.

___

1. We are planning here to take the car back to where it had it's last MOT and ask for guidance - because surely IF they are illegal, the MOT place is in the wrong for passing the vehicle?

2. Seems a totally pointless act as my Mom pointed out that the car has had plenty of MOT's without a problem. The policeman then said "The MOT place will not check the tint on the windows" - Well then why tell us to take the tint off then re-MOT the car - they aren't checking the windows remember??

3. Can he do this?

4. What a self righteous pr1ck.

Where do we stand guys? I know there is a limit that you can tint the driver and passenger door windows - but there has never been an issue before.

My pop has owned the car for 8 years and has covered over 100,000 miles. The car has had about 4 owners and has covered a total of 166,000 miles. The car also has had countless MOT passes with no problems.

We do not know for sure if the windows were part of a factory option or if someone has added them afterwards. If they are factory then Chrysler would not have got it wrong for the UK market - or the car would have been illegal for UK roads. If they are aftermarket then we aren't sure. We are trying to find out the original options through Chrysler but I am pretty sure they are factory - they look far too good to have been done outside.

The car was pulled just outside Wisbech and apparently Cambridgeshire and Norfolk and Northamptonshire are the only counties exercising their right to pull you for having over-tinted windows. - SO, urm yeah, what about all the foreign drivers with no license or insurance - arr that's right, that would be just too much paperwork wouldn't it.

My thoughts here is if the car windows are actually legal - the police used a special light sensing tool to determine legality. Problem is, it was at night in the dark and the windows are covered with road salt - how accurate can his tool be?

Hassle.

Andy · January 02, 2010, 04:44:03 PM

That sucks!

If you haven't already, might be worth posting this on the Pistonheads boards as they have a Speed, Plod and the Law section that actually has some Police who'll give you more of an inside story on the law and that. Found them to be very useful for some information.

Is there actually a tint film on the window or is it a tint sprayed on the glass(however they do actually do it from factory)?

Cunning Plan · January 02, 2010, 04:52:20 PM

Quoting: Andy

If you haven't already, might be worth posting this on the Pistonheads boards as they have a Speed, Plod and the Law section that actually has some Police who'll give you more of an inside story on the law and that. Found them to be very useful for some information.

Thanks just emailed my pop with a load of posts from PH - all useful stuff. Just wondered if any of you guys had experience with the situation..

Quoting: Andy

Is there actually a tint film on the window or is it a tint sprayed on the glass(however they do actually do it from factory)?

I am pretty sure it is either sprayed or in-between to bits of glass - so factory fitted, but the car is 75 miles away so I can't check.. IF it is aftermarket film - whoever has done it should be awarded some kind of medal for amazing work..

HardRockCamaro · January 02, 2010, 05:07:24 PM

I used to run a very dark tint on my Focus.

The problem is that the law always stipulated a minimum light transmission value which got progressively tighter.
I can't remember what the exact figures are anymore, but I think it's something like 95% light transmission on the front side windows, and 99% or something daft on the front screen, whereas the rear sides and rear can be whatever you like.

The problem is that a lot of gfactory tints,w such as on some Chryslers Voyagers, was illegal once the grey areas had been identified.

Many police forces have impounded vehicles on the spot, your pop was lucky to be allowed to drive away. Lone mothers with young children and OAP's have had their cars taken away at the side of the road.

It's complete bulls**t. Any safety implication is nowhere near that serious to warrant impounding the vehicle and to be honest I find them no safety hazard whatsoever in any situation. All that matters is that you are observant (the tint on my Focus blocked about 75% light iirc).

Almost all dark tints are a film, and if done well you can't tell.

Essex police are complete to$$ers when it comes to tints, in fact Essex traffic cops are complete to$$ers full stop.

The met police had many opportunities to do me for my tints but never stopped me as they have better things to do with their time.

I also fail to see what the MOT retest is for as it isn't part of the MOT test.

philoldsmobile · January 02, 2010, 11:07:16 PM

the top and bottom is that the only legal tint now is the manufacturers tint. any after market tint of any type is completely illegal.

i dont believe they can actually revoke the MOT, but I believe you will need to go to an MOT station within 7 days to get a 'fix it ticket' saying the windows have been de tinted.

sadly the law is strict and explicit, if its got an after market tint, its gotta come off.

a decent pro tint film job can look incredible, even a decent DIY job will look factory, trouble is its a very skilled job to do right, so film got a bad rep.

Cunning Plan · January 03, 2010, 04:58:02 AM

Okay cheers for the input guys..

art b · January 03, 2010, 06:25:35 AM

at the end of the day,
which one of us[ as a pc ] would like to go up to a dark tinted car in a city centre and wonder who is inside with which type of weapon,

Cunning Plan · January 03, 2010, 08:26:09 AM

Quoting: art b

which one of us[ as a pc ] would like to go up to a dark tinted car in a city centre and wonder who is inside with which type of weapon

Can see your point, but what about the guys in the back of the van with rocket launchers - no legal requirement to see into the back of vehicles, so why would just the driver be armed...?

I read up on it on PH and it's more to do with not spotting cyclists and motorbikes at night........ Every other country handles tints just fine - why does this one have an issue - it's just one more offense in the rule book they can use to pull legitimate, traceable drivers over and fine them.

As I say, the car has been on the road for 11 years and done over 166k miles without even so much as a mention from anyone.

Just got back from Tesco and there was a brand new '59 plate Hyundai Tuscan going around the round-a-bout - and yep it had tints all round

Have to say at this point, I do NOT, NOT condone the w@nkie boi racer types with their chav'd up Vectras and limo tints everywhere!! A nicely done moderate privacy glass that makes it a bit harder to see if you have a laptop in the car or something and keep the car a bit cooler in the summer, and if done right, looks tasteful.

philoldsmobile · January 03, 2010, 09:13:34 AM

there is another benefit too window tints. if the car is rear ended, the back window (especially on a small hatch / estate) will stay in one piece as it breaks, rather than exploding and showering kids on the back seat in glass. same goes for side impacts.

it also makes the car a little slower to break into as the glass is held together by the film, and you still have to push the window through - this can be surprisingly hard.