29 replies to this topic

[Bean]

Seems I'm the only mod online and I'm not even a mod of this section so I have no powers!

Seems like it's been cleaned up though? But please keep posts on topic, if anything strayed (I don't know what was written before it was edited!)


Personally, I'm going to be getting my rear van windows tinted for security purposes. Even though I'll have it fitted with a tracker, it just makes it a little harder to know/see anything that might be in it.

I think it comes down to the area that you live in, the overall styling of the car and the amount that the car is tinted. There's tinting for looks and tinting for safety/security - I just wouldn't solely rely on the tinting to stop people breaking in as it is bound to attract more attention to the car. But lets face it - Minis attract enough attention anyway, does a bit of tinting really make a difference to one?

[Roo]

Mine are tinted as standard

[bamby]

ive found that the tint on my windows (as it came out the factory im led to believe) when the lights in a certain direction you cant see in very well, although having said that its not a fantastic deterrant as it sometimes makes the car look very shiny thus attracting attention. It depends what you want to hide behind it. I think somewhere theres something that says how dark you can have it on windows etc. cant remeber where tho sorry .

[roofless]

out of interest - John at Covics has a full set of mini glass tinted and ready to fit - in legal shades. he's even done it the hard way by removing the chrome finisher around the rear quarter windows, tinting and then re-fitting properly. Might save you a few quid??

[mini_mad69]

Go for it, if you want to do it legally go for it, if not don't wory about it. Just like to mention, I watched a program a while ago and the bloke was an ex con and he explained that he prefered to break into cars with tints as they make less noise, not as much mess and are generally easier to asccess. But it can look good, I tried to do it myself but i failed. GO gor it, if its what you want.

[Roo]

Go for it, if you want to do it legally go for it, if not don't wory about it. Just like to mention, I watched a program a while ago and the bloke was an ex con and he explained that he prefered to break into cars with tints as they make less noise, not as much mess and are generally easier to asccess. But it can look good, I tried to do it myself but i failed. GO gor it, if its what you want.

You shouldn't encourage people to do things illegally by telling them not to worry about it... thats a bit like telling someone to put black and white plates on a mini and say its okay... Or drink driving is acceptable.

Its not!.. Things are made illagal for a reason. People end up getting caught by the police or worse.. involved in an accident due to the illegal modification.

I would stick to the law in this case... save you some money and the agro of removing iit if caught.

[insamoufonyx]

Anything forward of the B pillar (middle of the car) MUST NOT be tinted in anyway

Load of crap, Legalities are,

Any tint on rear 3 windows, can even paint them if you want
No tint on windscreen
AT LEAST 70% light must be able to pass through on the front sides.

And i know this for a fact as mine were tested about 3 weeks ago by a traffic cop.

Edited by insamoufonyx, 06 January 2009 - 11:20 PM.

[Roo]

Tinting your car windows is a quick and cheap way of customizing your vehicle. It makes the car look sleek and it also provides an amount of security if possible thieves cannot see in. Some manufacturers are even producing cars with the rear windows already tinted with this in mind. They do not however supply cars with the front windows tinted, with good reason, because there is legislation preventing this.
However aftermarket tints can be bought which if used incorrectly can breach this legislation



The law states that any tint must allow at least 70% of the light to pass through them. There are obvious reasons for this of course. If you cannot see clearly through your windows then you might not be able to see that cyclist, pedestrian etc. especially at night.

VOSA has spent £13,000 providing light meters for roadside checks. If the meter detects between 45% and 65% of light getting through then you would be asked to remove the tint, failing to do so could result in a £2000 fine. If the meter says 30% to 45% the vehicle is deemed unfit for the road and a delayed prohibition is issued leaving 10 days to remove the tint. Less than 30% and the vehicle cannot be moved until the tint is removed.

Edited by Roo, 06 January 2009 - 11:27 PM.

[Roo]

FYI

Which windows in the vehicle does this apply to?
The windscreen and the front side windows to either side of the drivers' head.

How does excessively tinted glass affect road safety?
It restricts the driver's vision, especially in dark conditions. This
may prevent drivers from seeing other road users or pedestrians.
It also prevents other road users and pedestrians from confirming
through eye contact that they have been seen.

What is the purpose of the law?
The purpose of the law is to ensure the drivers' ability to see the
road is not excessively restricted by glass tint.

Legally where do I stand?
If you are the driver -
- You must not drive a vehicle on the road with the windscreen or front side windows excessively tinted. You may also invalidate your insurance with this modification, particularly as the vehicle
is likely to be illegal.

If you are a tinting company -
- You must not modify, or offer to supply, a part that when fitted to a vehicle means that it does not comply with Construction & Use Regulations.

If you're selling a vehicle with extra tinting applied to the windscreen or front side windows -
- The vehicle may now have glass that is darker than permitted by Construction & Use regulations, in which case the vehicle should not be sold.

Why are tinted windows not included in the MOT test?
Excessively tinted glass is seen as a serious issue but one which currently affects only a small number of the 24 million vehicles tested annually. To include this item in the MOT test would require
all 18,000 garages to incur expenditure on special test equipment and the time taken to carry out an MOT would increase. The MOT fee would have to be raised to cover the extra time and investment.
This extra cost would affect all motorists - all for a small number of vehicles. With the current levels of offending, roadside enforcement is a better route as it targets the offenders while minimising the
cost and inconvenience to compliant road users.



All taken from:
http://www.ukmotorists.com "your legal guide to motoring"

[roofless]

Tinting your car windows is a quick and cheap way of customizing your vehicle. It makes the car look sleek and it also provides an amount of security if possible thieves cannot see in. Some manufacturers are even producing cars with the rear windows already tinted with this in mind. They do not however supply cars with the front windows tinted, with good reason, because there is legislation preventing this.
However aftermarket tints can be bought which if used incorrectly can breach this legislation



The law states that any tint must allow at least 70% of the light to pass through them. There are obvious reasons for this of course. If you cannot see clearly through your windows then you might not be able to see that cyclist, pedestrian etc. especially at night.

VOSA has spent £13,000 providing light meters for roadside checks. If the meter detects between 45% and 65% of light getting through then you would be asked to remove the tint, failing to do so could result in a £2000 fine. If the meter says 30% to 45% the vehicle is deemed unfit for the road and a delayed prohibition is issued leaving 10 days to remove the tint. Less than 30% and the vehicle cannot be moved until the tint is removed.

and if you wear sunglasses in your car................all this is a waste of time and effort on behalf on the idiots that come up with stuff like this, and spend taxpayers money doing so because that's legal - and without measure.

A light meter - a good one suitable for law enforcement costs approx £700.00 - so thats 18 units nationwide. the vast majority of stop checks are purely down to the opinions and considerations of the officer in question.

professional tinters are exactly that - professional. They will advise what is within the remit of the law, what pushes the boundary, and what is likely to lead to conviction if stopped and checked.

the original question answered - yes, certain polyester films can improve security, and safety.

[Roo]

and if you wear sunglasses in your car................all this is a waste of time and effort on behalf on the idiots that come up with stuff like this, and spend taxpayers money doing so because that's legal - and without measure.

A light meter - a good one suitable for law enforcement costs approx £700.00 - so thats 18 units nationwide. the vast majority of stop checks are purely down to the opinions and considerations of the officer in question.

You wouldn't wear sunglasses at night

that was probably posted up on there back in 2004 when the law was first put into place.. there will be far more than 18 units now.

[roofless]

You wouldn't wear sunglasses at night

I wouldnt, you wouldnt - but the point I am making is that its not illegal to do so.

that was probably posted up on there back in 2004 when the law was first put into place.. there will be far more than 18 units now.

The laws have changed up down and sideways regarding tinting in recent years, the more popular it becomes, the more reasons they try to find to persuade people not to do it.

getting back to the point in question - done sensibly, and by the guidance of a professional tinter it offers various benefits over standard laminated and toughened glass. Thats why just about every mainstream car dealer in the UK offers it as an upgrade or option on the purchase of a new car, and when done professionally it does genuinely seem to add value to the car. A high proportion of the tinting done on cars on the independant circuit is on brand new vehicles, or near new vehicles where the owner aspires to it but is put off by the dealer price.

at the end of the day - if you want it, have it, its no more dangerous than a modified engine, a flip-front, loud stereo or furry dice - IF you are a careful and considerate driver - if your an eejot - well, you deserve what you get.

[mini_mad69]

Go for it, if you want to do it legally go for it, if not don't wory about it. Just like to mention, I watched a program a while ago and the bloke was an ex con and he explained that he prefered to break into cars with tints as they make less noise, not as much mess and are generally easier to asccess. But it can look good, I tried to do it myself but i failed. GO gor it, if its what you want.

You shouldn't encourage people to do things illegally by telling them not to worry about it... thats a bit like telling someone to put black and white plates on a mini and say its okay... Or drink driving is acceptable.

Its not!.. Things are made illagal for a reason. People end up getting caught by the police or worse.. involved in an accident due to the illegal modification.

I would stick to the law in this case... save you some money and the agro of removing iit if caught.

Sorry I was not clear, please read
"Go for it, if you want to do it legally go for it, if not legal, don't do it."

Instead of "Go for it, if you want to do it legally go for it, if not don't wory about it."

Admitantly I did no type this clearly at all. Illegal stuff is naughty, don't do it, the police will put you in jail and you will make friends in the showers!!

ha ha sorry, I was not clear on the law so I didn't quote any figures.

[Mini_the_Minx]

I have worn sunglasses at night, but only because I was stuck on a motorway next to roadworks with those big old spotlights and it was killing my eyes.

Roofy, I have a mate of a mate doing it for me so I'm getting a good deal on it and he's fitting it for me too!!

Regarding the law, I was right about the 70% of light through. But its un true that tinting the windscreen is illegal as Mini suppliers sell tinted glass and top tints and the majority of new cars have a coloured tint to the screen.

It seems to be very unclear what is allowed and what is not, I'll have the guy look over my tints and tell me where I stand regarding legality.

As far as I am concerned, I'm having mine tinted for security, safety and to prevent glare from the sun. With professional tinting, it still allows you to see through the glass from the inside, a little less if you have Limo Black tint which is what I have, but from having driven cars with Limo Black tint of an evening, it really doesn't make much more of a difference as its still hard to see behind you without streetlights.

[WiredbyWilson]

standard window "tinting" is normally green or brown, and is very very slight.

are your windows being sprayed or having film applied - as I don't know if film is seen as "tiniting".

From a security angle it may prevent them getting in, but could also serve to intrigue young scallys into wanting to know what is behind the film

Edited by Wilson1275, 07 January 2009 - 12:26 PM.