Professional window tints

[trota1312]

Please contact Lee/Dan about an advertiser package.

[MattBrown]

Whats the law on front tints?

As I understand its a 30% tint.

Got to let 70% of the suns "Lumens" through?

[Gibbo]

im sure its 75%

[Southie]

Best to contact Admin/Lee regarding this as its an advert. :thumb:

I've reported so they know BTW.

[Stuart]

edited as appropriate

[bazil]

Whats the law on front tints?

As I understand its a 30% tint.

Got to let 70% of the suns "Lumens" through?

yip that's what I was told when I had a prohabition order put on my car as it only had 13% vlt on the front side windows lol on the retest the standard audi glass gave a Reading of 75% and it was passed.

[Nova_Sean]

where did you get it tested? My local tint place wont touch my front widows

[bazil]

At the side of the A737 after the traffic police stopped me and a man from vosa popped out and tested it, the retest took place at the vosa testing station at bishopbriggs.

The vosa chap said that if your car has tinted glass and you put a light smoke on it it will probably be over the limit, but clear glass with a light tint should be ok,

I have never had my front windows tinted again.

[Jack]

How many times does the tinting question need answering lol

Vehicles used before 01/04/85:
70% light transmission on windscreen (i.e. 30% max tint)
70% light transmission on front sides (i.e. 30% max tint)

Vehicles used on/after 01/04/85:
75% light transmission on windscreen (i.e. 25% max tint)
70% light transmission on front sides (i.e. 30% max tint)

Any window behind the front sides can be any level of tint.

It is illegal to use a vehicle which does not comply
It is illegal to supply and fit tints that do not comply
It is illegal to sell a vehicle which does not comply

Also, bear in mind even clear glass restricts light throughput to a small degree. So a 30% tint may not allow full 70% light throughput.

[bazil]

Jack I don't want to spam your info thread but do you have any info regarding penalties? In my case it was imeadiate prohabition with the vehicle to be recovered, a retest at a vosa facility but no fine and no points,


Edit, I should add that I was stopped in 2004 so the penalties may have changed since, much like the smoking ban and driving while on a mobile these were not offences in 2004 iirc so things change,

[Jon_nova1]

didn't know you could get your windscreen tinted lol

as for penalties in most cases it will just be a fine and you have to take the tints off, you must have annoyed someone or forgot to ask can't you just take them off at the side of the road

[bazil]

Iirc my vlt was only 13% the police said with tints that dark the vehicle was in a dangerous condition to drive, lol it was only 4 years old with 30,000 miles on it, the vosa chap was the one who gv9 it so recovery was manditory, however the traffic cops gave me an escort home but made me drive with the windows down lol

[Jack]

There's a few ways the law can deal with tinted windows:

1. Verbal Warning
2. VDRS (Vehicle Defect Rectification System)
3. Fixed Penalty
4. Prohibition Notice
5. Ways & Means Act
6. Court Summons

First is pointless, as the driver will probably just ignore it lol.
Second option is the 14 day to fix thing.
Third is £60 and 3pts and may be issued along with 2 or 4.
Fourth is the vehicle getting impounded asap thing
Fifth allows the driver to rectify the fault on the spot with no further penalty
Sixth is a bit extreme but still an option; it leaves you open to falling foul of Construction & Use regulations which carry big fines.

Option 2, 3 and 4 are the most common/most likely.

BEAR IN MIND an officer/VOSA operative does NOT need to measure the tint level. If they decide the "level of visibility of the surroundings has been obscured to the extent that the 'danger of injury' criterion has been met", they can act. If they think its close, they can get the driver "to investigate further" (probably by issuing a VDRS).