Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[bob.dent]

Bob,

The letter of the law (for a car of your age) is that the windscreen must allow at least 75% light through, and the front windows at least 70%.

Did the plod measure the light able to pass through window in three seperate places using a device in a black box (known as a tint-man?)

If so - what were your readings?

If the light allowed through was significantly less than the 70%, then you could be issued with an endorsable fixed penalty notice for using the vehicle in a dangerous condition.

Where the light is below the limit, but not by a great deal, it can also be dealt with by way of a non-endorsable £30 FPN.

I think the officer probably got it wrong re. the 3 points per window. If the tints are very dark, the offence is a singular one, of "using the vehicle in a dangerous condition", so would only attract one penalty of £60 and 3 points at worst.

If there were further offences, they'd have to report you for summons.

They also have the power to prohibit the vehicle if the tints are dangerous, but again this is highly unlikely unless the levels are very very low.

Either way, it sounds like he used some common sense, and made a good judgement call with the words of advice 

Thanks for that James.
He didn't measure the light but said he could arrange for it to be tested in which case if it failed he would definitely have to nick me.

[JamesV6CDX]

Bob,

The letter of the law (for a car of your age) is that the windscreen must allow at least 75% light through, and the front windows at least 70%.

Did the plod measure the light able to pass through window in three seperate places using a device in a black box (known as a tint-man?)

If so - what were your readings?

If the light allowed through was significantly less than the 70%, then you could be issued with an endorsable fixed penalty notice for using the vehicle in a dangerous condition.

Where the light is below the limit, but not by a great deal, it can also be dealt with by way of a non-endorsable £30 FPN.

I think the officer probably got it wrong re. the 3 points per window. If the tints are very dark, the offence is a singular one, of "using the vehicle in a dangerous condition", so would only attract one penalty of £60 and 3 points at worst.

If there were further offences, they'd have to report you for summons.

They also have the power to prohibit the vehicle if the tints are dangerous, but again this is highly unlikely unless the levels are very very low.

Either way, it sounds like he used some common sense, and made a good judgement call with the words of advice 

Thanks for that James.
He didn't measure the light but said he could arrange for it to be tested in which case if it failed he would definitely have to nick me.

Not sure why he said 'have' to nick you.

Obviously I wasn't there, but it sounds like he needs to think about exercising a little discretion.

Ultimately, what is his aim by stopping you for tints? The answer to that is road safety.

If by offering you advice (peeling them off), which he thinks you are going to take, this objective becomes achieved, the requirement for him to 'nick' you isn't there.

Either way, not to worry, you avoided a ticket 

[Lazydocker]

Not sure why he said 'have' to nick you.

Obviously I wasn't there, but it sounds like he needs to think about exercising a little discretion.

Ultimately, what is his aim by stopping you for tints? The answer to that is road safety.

If by offering you advice (peeling them off), which he thinks you are going to take, this objective becomes achieved, the requirement for him to 'nick' you isn't there.

Either way, not to worry, you avoided a ticket 

I would assume that he was saying that if they tested the transparency and it failed he would have to issue the ticket, instead he did use his discretion and let Bob go with the advice to remove them

But be warned Bob, your car is very noticeable so there's a good chance he'll spot you again and if you haven't removed the tint

It's a real shame but, to be fair, you've been expecting it for a few years now

[bob.dent]

Not sure why he said 'have' to nick you.

Obviously I wasn't there, but it sounds like he needs to think about exercising a little discretion.

Ultimately, what is his aim by stopping you for tints? The answer to that is road safety.

If by offering you advice (peeling them off), which he thinks you are going to take, this objective becomes achieved, the requirement for him to 'nick' you isn't there.

Either way, not to worry, you avoided a ticket 

I would assume that he was saying that if they tested the transparency and it failed he would have to issue the ticket, instead he did use his discretion and let Bob go with the advice to remove them

But be warned Bob, your car is very noticeable so there's a good chance he'll spot you again and if you haven't removed the tint

It's a real shame but, to be fair, you've been expecting it for a few years now

That about the size of it Paul, he was prepared to let me go with a warning but if I'd challenged him to test it he would have had to have nicked me if it failed.

TBH I have been expecting a tug ever since Broocie told me he was sure they were borderline illegal.

BTW, I see the "lazytinker" name has stuck!

[JamesV6CDX]

he was prepared to let me go with a warning but if I'd challenged him to test it he would have had to have nicked me if it failed.

I guess it's just a different approach. I personally test tints (to gauge what level the tints are) before deciding how to deal with it.

Either way, I do agree, he did the right thing by giving you advice 

(Edit to add, even if, upon testing, the tints don't let enough light through - this does not automatically mean the officer can no longer deal with it by advice)

[Elite Pete]

I very nearly T boned a new fiesta ST on Wednesday on the way back from a job in Hereford. I was travelling along the A49 at just about the legal limit and saw this Fiesta waiting to pull out of a T juction, the windows were blacked out and I couldn't see the driver, anyway the scrote driving waited for the car coming towards me to pass and then pulled out, well my ABS works but my undies needed changing, god knows what his/hers were like

[hotel21]

Bob, you knew it was 'when' not 'if'....   

Couple of thoughts.  If the Officer noted details of you and your car then they will probably be added to the database as a warning.  If not noted then its an individual Officers assessment and you would then balance removal with the probability of meeting that particular Officer again.

Personally, I would look at removing the tint thats on and replacing it with a legal one.  bear in mind that some, not all, glass fitted to cars is already at legal maximum/minimum and so the addition of any film will render them naughty.

You pays your cash and takes your chance, as the saying goes.... 

[pirate]

eny film that doesnt release with heat try abit of brake cleaner on paper wiped over should loosen up then clean with meths,
had a volvo estate few years back that had been owned by a chemical firm the tints all round were so dark that i had to open the drivers window at night to see,but i was never stopped, some areas of the country thay have a crack down ,east anglia is pretty hot for stops for tints 8-)

[VXL V6]

Bob,

The letter of the law (for a car of your age) is that the windscreen must allow at least 75% light through, and the front windows at least 70%.

Did the plod measure the light able to pass through window in three seperate places using a device in a black box (known as a tint-man?)

If so - what were your readings?

If the light allowed through was significantly less than the 70%, then you could be issued with an endorsable fixed penalty notice for using the vehicle in a dangerous condition.

Where the light is below the limit, but not by a great deal, it can also be dealt with by way of a non-endorsable £30 FPN.

I think the officer probably got it wrong re. the 3 points per window. If the tints are very dark, the offence is a singular one, of "using the vehicle in a dangerous condition", so would only attract one penalty of £60 and 3 points at worst.

If there were further offences, they'd have to report you for summons.

They also have the power to prohibit the vehicle if the tints are dangerous, but again this is highly unlikely unless the levels are very very low.

Either way, it sounds like he used some common sense, and made a good judgement call with the words of advice 

Thanks for that James.
He didn't measure the light but said he could arrange for it to be tested in which case if it failed he would definitely have to nick me.

The problem is that virtually any tint on Omega front windows puts them over the limit as the original factory tint is very close to the limit.

[Bent valve]

If this should happen again to any one, and you are being reasonable and the police are being condesending/arsey as a lot of them can be, then tell him to fetch his meter and while he's doing that wind both windows down and pull the fuse sharpish
PS, only do this if there is nothing else remotley wrong with your car...

[hotel21]

If this should happen again to any one, and you are being reasonable and the police are being condesending/arsey as a lot of them can be, then tell him to fetch his meter and while he's doing that wind both windows down and pull the fuse sharpish
PS, only do this if there is nothing else remotley wrong with your car...

... and brand yourself as a bit of an eejit that would probably be likely to be stopped more frequently.   

And what about obstructing a Police Officer in the execution of their duty??   C'mon.....