Window tint warning...

[europeanme]

Well ain't that just peachy.....
Coming home from work, I noticed a police car going round a local roundabout one too many times.....he then preceeded in my general direction....and after 3-4 miles pulled me over.... bear in mind i am in rush hour traffic moving with the flow of traffic and with my running prob's NOT giving it a boot-full on the dual carriagewayout of Nottingham....he then "nips" in front of the car behind me, which is travelling quite close to my rear bumper....then gives it blue flashing lights....

"Do you know why we have stopped you"??....not a clue I replied....turns out to be my chuffing window tint!!....
try as I might to explain the tint was on the car before I brought it...it was...and it has had several MOT's ....2 by me....he gave me a fixed penalty to pay.....

turns out the had being trying to locate another car....looks like they needed petrol money to get home!!!.....there are people out there with no MOT..no insurance...and stolen cars...along with everything else that goes on.....

to say I was a tad 'miffed' would be a slight understatment.....

so be warned all those looking at tinting their front windows...

[Le S2 Audi]

What a bummer.....

Pity it wasn't their Fish & Chips going cold when the put on the Blues & Two's....

[avants2turbo]

clearly got nothing better to do with there time! Like stopping theiving quattronics barstuards stealing from people!

[Jenks]

...turns out to be my chuffing window tint!!....
....he gave me a fixed penalty to pay.....

Did he check the percentage of light allowed through with a meter or are they obviously too dark?

[Acidburn]

Did they ask you to have the tint removed or replaced with something less dark?

[S2central.net]

If plod didn't test it objectively with a light meter then how the **** can he issue you with a fixed fine... sounds like guilty before proven innocent to me... I urge you to get the tints tested properly as per letter of the law then you can go to court and dispute it - then he'll have to turn up in court and look like the ****wit he is in front of the judge.

To catch you for speeding they have to use a calibrated instrument that measures speed - admissible in court... Here this cant has just thought your windows look a bit dark - has he got ****ing laser calibrated vision or something. **** sake.

I'd have had a right stand up argument with him and taken the car to an MOT centre for a test right ****ing there and then to prove him wrong (or at least get the fine on the basis of a proper test) - ******** plod sometimes - no wonder they get a bad name... there are REAL criminals around and this is what they get up to... The probably tailed you that long hoping you'd boost it somewhere - and/or they radioed in for a full check on the car for tax, insurance etc

[Le S2 Audi]

[adamw]

how does the adds between the last post and the quick reply work!? a thread about the plod pulling you over for window tints.. i scroll down and there is a add trying to sell the stuff!!!

i got fined by the bar-stuards today as well!!

parked up at the market cross(center of lerwick) was gone no longer then 5mins and got fined for not displaying my parking disk!!

[dest]

I thought the law was that you are not allowed ANY % of tint on the front windows?
Apparently even some factory tinted glass is technically illegal now as it is too dark!?

[S2central.net]

how does the adds between the last post and the quick reply work!? a thread about the plod pulling you over for window tints.. i scroll down and there is a add trying to sell the stuff!!!

i got fined by the bar-stuards today as well!!

parked up at the market cross(center of lerwick) was gone no longer then 5mins and got fined for not displaying my parking disk!!

1 - That'll be Google ads - targetted on key words in the threads - dang clever them Google boys n girls... !

2 - Why does Lerwick need parking wombles - that is ridiculous ?

[shark_90]

Rule of thumb is that anything on the front is illegal, bad luck that you got stopped mate but that's the way it is unfortunately.

[Le S2 Audi]

I thought it was only 25% and i THINK most manufactures is 20 - 22%...

I found this thread but its not 100% clear

http://www.torquecars.com/forums/f9/window-tinting-legal-uk-97/

Also found this;

http://www.carkeys.co.uk/features/ev..._else/2276.asp

[madpugger]

My understanding was that the front windscreen was allowed 25 or 30% and the front side windows were allowed 5% more, so 30 or 35%. I cant remember the precise figures, but you are allowed a tint. The rear windows have no limit.

Oh, and as Paul says, if they didn't use a light meter (that is calibrated) then contest it, even if your tints are illegal, if they didn't use one then they cant charge you. They really **** me off doing crap like this. They pulled you over because they thought it was someone else who they were looking for, then to not look like a pair of ***** they give you a fine for a nothingness! Why wont they go catch some granny mugging junkies?

[Jamo]

The law is 30% tint ( i.e 70% of light must come through ), if they didn't test it with a light meter you can contest the penalty although they'll probably just find something else on your car to book

[bluequattro]

Before tinting windows on my discovery (so baby wasn t in the sun, not to pimp it!) I asked my MOT station.
They said they don t test it and couldnt care how dark it was.
Asked a mate who was old bill, he said as long as they can see your driving licence details if you held it against inside of glass was ok-that was their test.
But correct in saying 35%
If you buy tint kits from good suppliers they will sell lighter tints for front windows than rears.