Forums Forums Wirral Information Law And Your Rights 3 points on my licence and a £60 Fine

Window Tint Laws

Ive just made it sticky again,
got lost in the switch over with the forums.

I think part of the problem is we dont have light meters?

We know there illegal,
but when you see so many out there with them you
kind of question its enforcement?

Its also confusing if you dont realise you can
have as black as you like on the rear sides and back.

A telling off and take them off now would have been
enough in my opinion, as they cost a fair bit anyway.

But again if a driver had tints all around,
and a member of my family was injured or worse
i would be say throw the book at them.

Its ok saying that "you see so many of them out there" Webby, but at the end of the day if their illegal then their illegal. If you get caught you cant complain.

Its the same with all things in life. Most people download music illegally. But only the few that ever get caught get punished... Does this make it fine and lawful though?

Matty

Window tints are not All illegal.

You can have them on the size window,
even the front window.

So if you see or hear someon saying they have tints
they dont follow up by saying you cant have them
more then 15% on the front and 20% on the front sides.
(%% May be off a little but someting like that".)

MOT Stations cant even measure them,
the only test they can do is check that they
are not touching the wiper blades.

Other than that its a pass.

That's where the confusion is in my opinion.
Alotough the law says that the company that fits
them is responsible for checking them for you.
And informing you if there leagal or not.

It has to fall to driver ingnorance,
and by that all i mean is they werent aware of the Law.
I dint recieve a booklet from DVLA or VOSA
so unless i was lucky enough to read a topic like this,
then how would i know.

So if your having Tints Fitted.
Ask the company about the regulations.
And if your informed there illegal expect the concequenses
of a fine / points / prison.

Thats my thoughts

My argument still stands though... The excuse "everyone else has them" is no reason for the plod not to issue a penalty when they catch people with illegal tints.

I heard about this stopping. They took up half of the arriva bus depot and were stopping people driving on laird street.

It wasnt just the plod who were present, there are other governing bodies :

• Police Force
• VOSA (Vehicle Inspectorate)
• CSA
• Benefits agency
• Inland Revenue

They use this oppertunity of a police officer (Who is the only legal person allowed to stop you) getting you into a check point and then they all have a go at getting you.

I have to admit i agree with these stops in general as it catches people working on the side, non insured drivers, Absent fathers, red diesel users, dangerous vehicle drivers, and so on.....

Why should i pay taxes for people fiddling the benefits system, maybe if everyone got caught then i wouldnt pay as much tax ! Maybe if all un-insured drivers were caught my insurance premium would get reduced ! Maybe if that dangerous vehicle wasnt caught it could have seriously injured someone !

I totally understand about the tints as i got pulled and had to remove mine also many moons ago and its annoying. However if you pulled out on a biker at night because you didnt see them through your tints then you would never forgive yourself, nor would the bikers family forgive you....

I am eating humble pie here as my rangy has tints

jay i once remember you sayin that if someone parked on zigzags an then a driver couldnt see your daughter crossing then therd be hell to pay.

wot would happen if you caused an accident or nocked over a biker who could still be someones son/daughter/great granny?

all good and well saying your eating humble pie but will u take off the tints?

Gary, very very good point. The answer is NO.

My Tints may be illegal but they are only a light tint and i can see out of them, even at night. If i was in an unlit area i would simply lower the front windows to help me see.

If i did hit a biker due to not seeing him because of my tints well i would expect there to be hell to pay on my behalf and i am fully aware of that and i know that is my responsability.

The Rangy is up for sale therefore i probably wont have it much longer anyways.

Good point raissed though

Yer but the thing is Jay, if that biker is killed or very seriously injured, no amount of punishment will make up for it.

I agree, however that is my choice and therefore my responsability........

We all make choices in life, we either reep the benefits or pay the consiquences of those very choices we make.

Why do we live in such a politically correct society ? It sucks !

i agree with wot your sayin jay

if i was in your position then i wouldnt be taking them off either.

are yours illegal anyway? were did u get them done or they standard ?

Theres a BIG difference between political correctness and legality. Dont confuse the two... Its not PC to have legal window tints. However, it is law to have legal window tints.

I see where you are coming from Jay, dont get me wrong, its only a small bending of the law, I do it every time I download a music track from my mate in Lebanon. The only thing I question, is yes you are happy to accept whatever penalty your actions may result in if (and thats a big if of course, which imo lessens the crime anyway) a biker was injured or killed. And thats good. All im saying though, is it is very rare the punishment fits the crime, especially with regards to vehicle incidents. Someone may get 18 months in prison, maybe even a suspended sentence for an accident caused by tints, whereas the biker may end up in a wheel chair, brain damaged or even dead as a result.

Im not targetting this point at you particuarly Jay, because there are plenty of people doing the same thing. But I think its a very hard thing to back as both the person in the wrong and the person in the right. However, morally I personally wouldnt have illegal tints - mind you my conscience would never let me. Thats just me though hehe!

Heres my take on this. If ur going to pull out,and theres a biker there,and u pull out and hit him. It doesnt matter weather u have tints or not. You shudnt pull out unless ur SURE its clear. you make SURE by looking. U can see thru light - medium smoke tints easily,even at night(dark smoke and limo black can still be seen thru),so if u pul out when its not clear its not the tints fault,its ur fault for not checking thoroughly enough.

I'd tint my car for 3 reasons
Cosmetics
Privacy
Sunlight protection (anti glare)

Now whats the point in tinting just the back windows,cos that doesnt offer me as the driver any of the important 2 reasons above,and my car looks shit as a result,so its all pointless.

And the plod say that front side window tinting is illegal due to the fact that the glass isnt 100% VLT when its made its more like 85% (average) so even the slightest tint makes it under 75 hence illegal. I'd like my windows VLT'd tho to prove that as my glass looks pretty god dam clear to me

As far as i am aware its privacy glass anyways

I would have a job taking them off......

I would have to replace the glass itself, or if a copper puled me i could always take a hammer to them infront of his eyes to avoid the points

if i had tints on my windows then i would take extra care pulling out of a junction.

in most cases i would say a "lazy driver" causes accidents at junctions not tints but this is just my oppinion.

with regards to rear window tints i think they should be banned (or atleast just a verrrrry light tint)as they take away just asmuch visibilty (sp) as a windscreen.

there's my 10p worth (would be a quid but am skint)

Ad jst say be prepared to keep ur front side windows down every time you drive somewhere if you have realli dark tints :P, that way the police wnt be able to see if there tinted or not

I must admit the back rear window tints make it realli dificult to revese out at the nite! if they are limo black or realli dark tints