View Full Version : Tints
peterzs
08-05-10, 10:55 AM
Just got back from Scotland, had a good time untill the blue lights came on behind us.
Your front windows look a little dark sir, out came the tester and it read 29.5. Below 30 they can take the car away, plus 3 points and a £60 fine. Said I bought the car like it, had it 2 years and never had any problems down south.
If you remove the tints that will be OK, so he had a go at the drivers side and I did the pass side, would it come off?? No way. I even scratched the tint to prove I wanted it off!! He also said the sat nav and radar detector were in the wrong place!!!
In the end he didnt want to write it up, as we would have no car, untill the tints were stripped off, we couldnt drive on because it was "dangerous". I said I would get it sorted back home and he said, you go that way and I'll go the opposite!!
Think he thought my derv was being driven by a boy racer, in fact he did mention them, I said I'm an old boy racer!!! Any way thanked him for the way he dealt with us.
Now got to get a legal tint to the fronts, I wont mention the police van on one of the bridges coming home!!!!
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm214/peterzs/2010_0214kyra0013.jpg
Dont think the front tints looked that dark, still if you have tints make sure they are legal on the front!!
:ohmy::ohmy::ohmy::ohmy:
Leigh_EvoIX
08-05-10, 01:17 PM
No tints on the front are legal....
RudeDogg1
08-05-10, 01:19 PM
thats what i thought
Leigh_EvoIX
08-05-10, 01:44 PM
Not saying don't do it though ;)
Bobdope2002
08-05-10, 01:46 PM
you are allowed a mzx 35% tint on the front 3 windows IIRC
The back three you can do what you like too
they changed it again recently, and its basically the tint thats on the car out the factory is the amount, the slight green tint, apatrantly strathclyde police where allowing the next level up just but i thought best not chance it, you should of said you where up pete woulda been good to meet ya
Oh lucky escape there... i keep thinking about putting a tint on mine, but decided not to bother. i think the OE level is fine for me. i rarely have rear passengers so dont care if the world can see the back of my car :)
peterzs
08-05-10, 06:10 PM
Where was this Peter?
Lets just say about 50 miles above Ritchy, dont want to be too precise as the guy was good enough to wave us away, wouldnt like it to bounce back on him.
:smile2::smile2::smile2:
SheppeyTrio
08-05-10, 06:18 PM
No tints on the front are legal....
Not quite. If it's a manufacturers tint then that is fine! I've just re-placed my front passengers window which has a manufacturers tint on it. I did think i would have to tint it myself to match the other side but it turned out to be standard!?
talkingcars
08-05-10, 06:19 PM
Was it near Edinburgh?
When we were up there a couple of years ago my wife was driving on the A1, we pulled into a service station for a break and change of driver, when we left the services I shot up the slip road and onto the dual carrageway not noticing the speed limit change from 70 to 50 on the main road above the junction.
As I nipped along I noticed a police car a long way behind, I also noticed the speed limit signs on the lamposts so slowed and pulled into the left hand lane, they soon caught up and followed us for a few miles while I drove to the book. Eventually we pulled up a set of lights, them on my outside, I looked around with a sheepish smile, they turned at the next junction.
My guess is they were just checking out that the car wasn't stolen etc.
Then when they saw your yellow ZS they thought it was me and they'ed got me this time!
Near my neck of the woods?!?
peterzs
08-05-10, 06:24 PM
they changed it again recently, and its basically the tint thats on the car out the factory is the amount, the slight green tint, apatrantly strathclyde police where allowing the next level up just but i thought best not chance it, you should of said you where up pete woulda been good to meet ya
Thought I might have been too shattered, but in the end it was an easy drive up, saw Rangers ground, Hamish the bull, Dreadnought garage.
What surprised us was the number of 10 reg cars around, quite a few 09 and 95, think there is more money up round you then around here. Maybe its the oil industry.
Great scenery, still saw snow up on the high ground.
:wave::wave::wave:
peterzs
08-05-10, 06:26 PM
Was it near Edinburgh?
When we were up there a couple of years ago my wife was driving on the A1, we pulled into a service station for a break and change of driver, when we left the services I shot up the slip road and onto the dual carrageway not noticing the speed limit change from 70 to 50 on the main road above the junction.
As I nipped along I noticed a police car a long way behind, I also noticed the speed limit signs on the lamposts so slowed and pulled into the left hand lane, they soon caught up and followed us for a few miles while I drove to the book. Eventually we pulled up a set of lights, them on my outside, I looked around with a sheepish smile, they turned at the next junction.
My guess is they were just checking out that the car wasn't stolen etc.
Then when they saw your yellow ZS they thought it was me and they'ed got me this time!
Boy racers was mentioned!!!!
:wave::wave::wave:
peterzs
08-05-10, 06:37 PM
Near my neck of the woods?!?
On the opposite coast, guy was quite good in the way he handled it, shook his hand, as I had visions of the car being removed on a lorry!!! Plus 3 points and £60 fine.
First I've heard of the 30 level of tint rule, still ignorance of the laws no defence, will be checking on front tints on Monday.
:smile2::smile2::smile2:
Standard tint on the ZS is green, no darker, it is that same as the windscreen.
stamford
08-05-10, 06:49 PM
It pays to be courteous, if you were offish they would have played by the book.
You should have said Peter that you were up here, I'm sure some of our lot would have made it to a wee mini meet.
peterzs
08-05-10, 06:58 PM
It pays to be courteous, if you were offish they would have played by the book.
One thing I've learnt, always, yes sir, no sir, sorry sir, did snarl a bit with, "welcome to Scotland", thats before he said he could have the car removed, as it was too dangerous to drive (?????).
Why arnt you out celebrating Mick????
:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
peterzs
08-05-10, 07:03 PM
You should have said Peter that you were up here, I'm sure some of our lot would have made it to a wee mini meet.
Always feel a bit of a whatsit, now I know its not such a bad journey apart from the M6 on the way back, (too tight to pay the £5 for the toll M6), will have to have another drive up.
If I've still got a licence!! Still thats another story!!!
:laugh::laugh::laugh:
archermav
08-05-10, 08:41 PM
Erm, from my fading memory it's 70% light passing through front windows and 75% windscreen. Can be an immediate prohibition as well. We use a certified tint tester.
Also on the spot fixed penalty notice. Very general rule of thumb is if it looks tinted, it's gonna be illegal.
peterzs
08-05-10, 09:21 PM
I dont know if different forces treat tints the same, I was shown a test bit of glass that was marked at 64 and the PC calibrated the tester to read 64, he then tested the tint on my drivers door and got an average of 29.5 over three areas.
Didnt mean much to me, till he said that below 30 was deemed to be dangerous. Take the car away, 3 points and £60, suddenly it all started to look a bit more serious.
I was stopped in Dorset by the police, who looked over the car and didnt mention the tints.
Must be something about yellow cars, was stopped in the Lakes last year, but that was one of the rear lights stopped working untill I gave it a thump.
Think we will have to take the wifes Punto on our next trip up north!!!
One thing was the state of the roads in Scotland, I know the weather is a bit harsh, but your driving with one eye on the pot holes and ruts. Up in the Trossachs there were drops of about a foot just off the edge of the road where lorries must run off the road. Around Loch Lomond some of the surfaces have broken up and it gives a real pounding to the suspension. Thinking of spending anothe £30 for a wheel alignment check up.
:laugh::laugh::laugh::wave::wave:
Leigh_EvoIX
08-05-10, 10:07 PM
It seems to be luck of the draw with tints and police attention... I've had full tints on my cars for 2 1/2 years now with no problems.... Maybe my time is still to come. I do get a little nervous when I see the old bill and sometimes flick my window down if they pull along side me...
Might get problems soon with my new reg plate....
you go over the erskine bridge pete? probably went past me house on your way to loch lomond
I wrote this for a 'how to' I did for window tinting on ZSCentral which you may find useful;
Tinting and the Law
Before you tint your windows you need to think about if they will be legal (I tinted over the rear brake light as it was easier but am not sure if it is legal although I have seen many cars like this).
The windscreen needs to let in a minimum of 75% of the available light and the front side windows (between the A and B pillar) need to let in a minimum of 70% of the light. In my experience od checking window tint levels a standard factory tinted window will be tinted to let in about 70 - 75% so any level of tint you add will make them illegal.
What will the Police do if my Windows are Illegal?
Thames Valley have a 'graduated' system for dealing with illegal tints. Between 60 to 45% of light transmission through the front side windows will result in 'words of advice' about your windows.
44 - 30% will be a £30 fixed penalty ticket.
29 - 11% This will result in a £60 fine and 3 points on your licence.
10% and below will result in being reported to court for dangerous driving.
It may be that you are simply given the option to remove the tints or take the fine, that is down to the officer.
What about the Rear Windows?
The rear screen and behind the B pillar can be as dark as you like. Think of car derived / transit vans, they have solid metal behind the B pillar and sometimes no windows in the back doors.
How do the Police Check the Level?
They use a device called a 'Tintman' which is a light source and a receiver. A 'washer' is placed between the source and the receiver and the machine is adjusted until the reading is 100% (give or take 2.5% IIRC) as there is nothing but air between the two parts 100% of light is transmitted.
They then insert a piece of glass with a known tint level between the two parts and this is used to check that the machine is calibrated correctly. They then put the receiver on one side of your window and the light source on the other (it holds itself in place with magnets in the device). Three readings are taken along the centre line of the window and then the lowest reading is used. This is usually done on a cleaned window rather than leaving it dirty.
But it Passed an MOT with the Tints in
It will do as the level of tint is not checked during an MOT as they do not have the equipment to check it.
peterzs
09-05-10, 10:13 AM
Yep very good, even to the bit "its passed its MOT", the only difference is that now they have a test bit of glass, marked at 64 and thats used to calibrate the tint tester.
Hi Ritchy, used Erskine bridge in and out, did have a look for silver MGZS's, only saw a couple of ZR's on the way up and a couple of ZS's around Glasgow.
We were at Wemess Bay so drove in and out along the motorway.
Guess what?? You know I always bang on about the speed cameras down here, when we got back had an envelope.
Got us at Holes bay, where the junction for Asda and Stere rd. Dual carriageway 50 mph goes down to 30 just before the junction, about 5 lanes all controlled by traffic lights.
Never saw the camera as its hidden in the center reservation among the traffic lights. My bleeper went off but I put it down to the traffic light senders. 42 mph in a 30, lucky the wife was driving the Punto!!
On the back of the form it tells you all about the cameras, I knew about the red light camera that operate if you go through on red. I didnt realise there is a green light camera that operate if you go through in excess of the limit!!!
So we had quite a week, feel like a real Glasgow hard man now.
:punk::punk::punk::laugh::laugh:
lol, the slip road that goes off the bridge towards dumbarton literally goes right behind my house, if youd looked left at the big buncha houses you mighta seen my car in the drive, yeah i know where ya are ete, theyre trying out new cameras down there too arent they big ugly things up towards where subway n i think kwickfit maybe? seen it last time i was down, i felt like i was doing something wrong just by driving past it
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