window tinting laws?

[Sukhi]

Window tints are the past! IMO ofcourse 

[Whitey5678]

Hate to disagree with Blessani but I refer to the legislation you've copied into your post.
"Amendments to Legislation During the early part of 2004, Section 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations will be amended to include “Window Tint Films”, where such materials attached to the glass are capable of reducing the Visible Light Transmission of forward windows to below prescribed levels."

the prescribed level forward of the b pillar is 75% light transmission.
my works volvo v70 only just makes this limit with the standard factory fitted tints (including windscreen).
I use a piece of kit specifically designed to measure the light transmission through car windows.

[Ashley]

I was under the impression that literally any pre-cut tinting film will go over the legal limits and therefore be illegal.. Even "Ultra-light smoke" which people say is "designed" to be road legal is still on the wrong side of the law.

I personally wouldn't want tinted front windows at all just for peace of mind.. Knowing that your sight is even slightly deminished while having front tints puts me off having them at all.

I've still got 'limo black' rear windows, so I'm probably being abit of a hypocrite to the last comment!

[Ben Lessani]

i guess i stand corrected.

Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 as amended specify the minimum levels of light that must pass through the windscreen and front side windows. The limits are: Motor Vehicles first used before 1 April 1985: The windscreen and front side windows must allow at least 70% of light to be transmitted through them. Motor Vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1985: The light transmitted through the windscreen must be at least 75%. The front side windows must allow at least 70% of light to be transmitted through them. If the glass is tinted to a point whereby it lets through less light, then the vehicle does not meet legal requirements.

[Whitey5678]

Because almost all modern cars have tinted windows as standard. (I can't think of any of the top of my head that dont) fitting any sort of tint to the fronts will almost certainly take you over the limit.

Thanks for the update Blessini, I stand corrected aswell ( I was going off memory and had forgotten the side windows get an extra 5% allowance.)

The kit used to check them is very simple. it consists of a calibration box, lamp and sensor.
they are calibrated on the roadside to read 100% of the lamps light being 'seen' by the sensor prior to being placed on the glass.
They're then placed on the the glass and the measurement is taken which shows how much in % light is passing through the tinted window.

usually three measurements are taken per window to show th ereading is not an anomally of that piece of glass.

HTH

[Peel]

I personally wouldn't want tinted front windows at all just for peace of mind.. Knowing that your sight is even slightly deminished while having front tints puts me off having them at all.

It's not just your sight. The ability to see through other vehicles at junctions etc is very useful. That's one of the many reasons I whinge about big 4x4s....

[Ashley]

Couldn't agree more Peel, I don't mind anyone having blacked out back windows.. you can still see light through them from the front windscreen when behind the car, so it doesn't really matter..