Window Tints

It looks like vehicles with tinted window are targeted by the police these days.
I have just come over from Australia 10 days ago and got my RR of the sorn had an mot fitted new suspension air bags and shock absorbers and anti roll bar links sorted the Aircon out and had all the paperwork filled out to exchange my Australian licence for a UK licence. The local post office could not do the form checking so had to go to nearest one that could. Pulled up at a leval crossing and a police car pulled up along side me and asked me to pull over after the gates opened. pulled up and the police asked me to get out the car as he had a man from VOSA with him and was checking the level of tints on the front drivers and passenger windows. I could not believe that they would have a police car just cruising looking for tinted windows.Any way my tint leval is too high so im having to remove it and have 7 days to do it and get it retested.
While VOSA was checking tints the police were checking my licence and said i didnt have a valid UK licence ( or had not renewed it) and as I was a UK citizen with UK passport my Australian licence wasnt valid .As I have dual citizenship and showed him both passports the matter became complicated as to when i entered the country but I could show him the form filled out and signed for the3 licence application so I got away with a warning.
This is the second time I have been pulled over because of window tints the first time was in Italy 2 yrs ago and had problem reconizing licences then but all is good and will rtemove the tints with a hair dryer.

Before you do take them off are you able to get some pics of the outside tints and then from the inside?

Mine are quite dark although I think an original option on the car. See profile pics... My Dad has exactly the same on his vogue to. Dark/black from the rear doors back and medium tint on driver and passenger doors.

Be interesting to see how dark yours are. Looking at my pics do you reckon mine are similar to yours?

Mine have Dark black all the way and was issued a prohibition notice and said its 69% tinted and 30% is the allowable tint and was tested with a machine I have to remove the film within 7 days and get it tested again.
You might get away with it if your front ones are lighter as it dosent matter how dark the back ones are they can even bee blocked right off.

Road traffic act says, "It is not an offence if you do not hold a current licence for a particular class of vehicle. Providing you have held one and are not disqualified from obtaining such a licence". Don't know how that pans out in your case.
Also if the EU has it's way with the MOT any window tints that are not fitted as standard equipement by the manufacturers will be illegal at sometime in the future. Sons father in law imported a Merc into Spain, all the retro fitted plastic film tints had to be removed to pass their version of the MOT. Only tinted glass is allowed apparently.

aerofabrique said:

Before you do take them off are you able to get some pics of the outside tints and then from the inside?

Mine are quite dark although I think an original option on the car. See profile pics... My Dad has exactly the same on his vogue to. Dark/black from the rear doors back and medium tint on driver and passenger doors.

Be interesting to see how dark yours are. Looking at my pics do you reckon mine are similar to yours?

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I bought mine with tints - don't know whether they are factory tints or not but they are quite dark.

I thought window tints were part of the MOT now? If so, how did yours manage to pass just days before being told that they were illegal by a wandering vosa dude?

kooky_guy said:

I thought window tints were part of the MOT now? If so, how did yours manage to pass just days before being told that they were illegal by a wandering vosa dude?

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No not mentioned in MOT test and not tested. Only stickers obstructing the view through the windscreen are failable. Only glazing requirements are for Class 5 vehicles. Vehicles with more than 13 seats. I believe it is coming though, maybe next year or year after. Think it is required in the EU directive, but that does not need to be fully implimented until 2014.

I thought pretty much any tint on the front side windows (apart from the standard maufacturers glass tint) was illegal now.

JD. said:

I thought pretty much any tint on the front side windows (apart from the standard maufacturers glass tint) was illegal now.

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It depends on the depth of tint and how much light comes through. If it's not called up to be tested on the MOT it is not failable. Only obstructions to the windscreen are failable on MOT test. Tints on passenger and drivers windows are not tested. They may well be too dark to be legal but cannot fail MOT.

If it was me I would buy some secondhand clear glass from a rr being broken swap them and get it retested then fit the tinted glass back in

That's is just a thought

Still not going to stop you getting pulled by the rozzers!

Tinted vehicle windows - the rules : Directgov - Motoring

Think this is what I read before about any additional tint on the front windows on top of the standard level of tint easily putting it over the legal limit.

Tinted front windows have their benefits, but not worth the aggro with the law imo.

I have a Moonlight Tint on the Front Sides and a Midnight Tint on the Rears and Tail....

The fronts were selected to allow a 70% light transmission....

Image of my current RR can be seen on my profile page....

Have3 removed the tints with the help of a hair drier and acetone .
The prohibition notice states that the front windows were 69% and the allowed was 30% for the front windows but all others can be as dark as you like.
It is not a MOT failure.
Now i have to get hold of the VOSA dude for a retest but hes not answering his phone so left messages for him.
as i fitted new air springs (i dont think they have been done before as there was 99 stamped on them somewhere )I fitted a new compressor air filter and drier as i dont want it breaking up and blocking the valves.
Also had 2 new Michelin lattitude cross tyres fitted they look good but will let you know how they wear and handle after a few thousand miles.they drive ok with no tramlining.
next job is change oil and filter in auto trans and also the cooler pipes as 1 is leaking.
just sat on my nanocom and that ****ed it.

Just a (helpful?) thought;
I'm a recently retired police sergeant and would advise that any tinting over and above the standard tint on the windscreen and front windows can (should) get you a prohibition notice and/or a FPN.
Apart from not being legal why would you want to make your visibility worse?
The rules are there fit a good reason; if you want tints put them on the rear side, and back windows only.
The number of times I've had people argue the toss is unbelievable; if stopped, I'd suggest being polite, plead ignorance of that law (but is no defence) and accept the warning or FPN with good grace, then get it sorted.
I remember one of my officers having a running battle with a local ne'r do well who eventually polled up with some really dark tinted glass, proudly proclaiming they were direct from LR, and were 'export glass'; he got a prohibition notice as I pointed out we weren't in Yemen, but the deepest darkest corner of the East Mids, and they weren't legal at all here.
Seriously, I don't see the problem, it's black and white, pardon the weak pun!

matt1987 said:

If it was me I would buy some secondhand clear glass from a rr being broken swap them and get it retested then fit the tinted glass back in

That's is just a thought

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Really not a good idea, as he would be knowingly committing an offence AFTER having been given a warning. Bad enough if someone else pulls him over and does a check but can you imagine how lovely things would be if the same cop pulled him again!! :laugh:

regardless of the lawful elements window tinting is for drug dealers and homosexuals

Series71 said:

regardless of the lawful elements window tinting is for drug dealers and homosexuals

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End of discussion?

Well i have no idea if my tints are legal or not, as per my previous post i bought mine like it. Still, if i get pulled for them i'll get them sorted. My drivers side from the inside is only a tad darker but the backs are very dark, im hoping its factory option tints but i dont know.

As i understand it the law says you need 75% light transmission on the front screen / 75% on the front side windows (drivers) & whatever suits your fancy on the rear windows.

sorry, meant to say 70% on front side windows