Tinted Windows Law!!

Nodferatu

Can someone tell me what the law is on tinted windows? I wanted to tint my cars wkndows but not sure if they are banned outright or is certain strengths are allowed?
Does NCT disalloww them?

Supergurrier

back 3 as dark as you like 2 front sides up to 30% tint front windscreen no tinting allowed

goz83

Becareful though. Some windows are darker than other from the factory. a 30% tint film may make your windows darker than the allowed tint.

It also applies to sun strips. It's a bit of a joke really.

mullingar

Supergurrier wrote: »

back 3 as dark as you like 2 front sides up to 30% tint front windscreen no tinting allowed

Dont forget that all windows have their own natural tint, so if the cars windows are already 20-30% tinted from the factory, adding just another 10% will fail the NCT limit.

Under the Road Traffic Act, the law has that there must be nothing obstruction the drivers view.

nct tester

I have never come across an after market tint that passed.

Supergurrier

mullingar wrote: »

Dont forget that all windows have their own natural tint, so if the cars windows are already 20-30% tinted from the factory, adding just another 10% will fail the NCT limit.

Under the Road Traffic Act, the law has that there must be nothing obstruction the drivers view.

I am aware of this but i didn't say a 30% tint was to be applied i just said it was the limit of the law

Supergurrier

nct tester wrote: »

I have never come across an after market tint that passed.

Thats because the properly applied ones aren't noticable

Nodferatu

nct tester wrote: »

I have never come across an after market tint that passed.

So they dont pass NCT!!!

daRobot

Nodferatu wrote: »

So they dont pass NCT!!!

He's referring to the front windows only. It's very unlikely that any tint level that someone would want, will pass.

Get the back three done, and don't worry.

biko

http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Your-Vehicle/Your-Vehicle-/NCT/Modified-Vehicles-/

The glass in the windscreen and front side windows will be required to have a light transmission level of not less than 65% in order to pass the test.

How it looks

You can tint the rest.

Blazer

Due an NCT for mine and I had my car tinted last year and supposed to be NCT legal. Now you'd barely notice the front windows in fairness so will be interesting to see if they pass

dgt

Anywhere I can test the level of tint besides the NCT?

goz83

dgt wrote: »

Anywhere I can test the level of tint besides the NCT?

A Garda check point

dgt

goz83 wrote: »

A Garda check point

Apart from that

goz83

dgt wrote: »

Apart from that

Not that i'm aware of. The tint installers should have a light meter.

Nodferatu

Looking at this kit on eBay would they be ok? just doing the rear and back on both sides, opinions!!!

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=160989344477

wersal gummage

goz83 wrote: »

Becareful though. Some windows are darker than other from the factory. a 30% tint film may make your windows darker than the allowed tint.

It also applies to sun strips. It's a bit of a joke really.

What is a joke? The sun strips bit or the 30% in general?

bbability

There is no law about tinting windows. It just an NCT requirement.

mullingar

I had a +30% tint on my front windows and the NCT failed it at just 40% transparency (60% total tint) when the rules just changed.

I pulled the tint off the car with the tester and he retested at 70% transparency so it passed, the factory tint was 30%!.

dgt

goz83 wrote: »

Not that i'm aware of. The tint installers should have a light meter.

I do my own tinting so wouldn't have access to such testing equipment.....

daRobot

Nodferatu wrote: »

Looking at this kit on eBay would they be ok? just doing the rear and back on both sides, opinions!!!

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=160989344477

Don't do it yourself, if you have not got experience you'll make a total mess of it. It's not as easy as you think.

It's only 100 euro for the back three windows here:

http://www.cartint.ie/

They're excellent. I got my lexus done with them.

I've used three companies in the past, and this film they use is by far the best.

goz83

wersal gummage wrote: »

What is a joke? The sun strips bit or the 30% in general?

Primarily the sunstrip, because this actually makes you less likely to be involved in a collision. Sunstrips are not in direct line of sight. A sun visor covers more of the top of the screen. I have to wear sunglasses when driving most days, because I had to take out a sunstrip, which was lighter than a factory tint fitted to a taxi that had passed the nct at the same time my car failed for a sunstrip.

I also think the levels of tint they do not allow is a joke, but yes, the line must be drawn somewhere.

If only they installed windows that reacted to sunlight like some glasses do

Totally goin on Dragons Den

wersal gummage

goz83 wrote: »

Primarily the sunstrip, because this actually makes you less likely to be involved in a collision. Sunstrips are not in direct line of sight. A sun visor covers more of the top of the screen. I have to wear sunglasses when driving most days, because I had to take out a sunstrip, which was lighter than a factory tint fitted to a taxi that had passed the nct at the same time my car failed for a sunstrip.

I also think the levels of tint they do not allow is a joke, but yes, the line must be drawn somewhere.

If only they installed windows that reacted to sunlight like some glasses do

Totally goin on Dragons Den

Fair point.

I'm obviously a motorist. I'm also a (not currently) motorcyclist. When completing my advanced training a few years ago one of the main tips was, when on a primary road and a car is waiting to pull out from a secondary road, to, apart from slow down a little (it's about self preservation, not being in the right), make eye contact with the driver - this guarantees that they have seen and can see you. Tinted driver side windows do not allow this so, from a motorcyclist perspective, the driver could be on a mobile, reaching back to chat to kids etc and the you have to slow to an unreasonable speed to cover the car possibly pulling out into, or worse across, your path.

Bit long winded there but there are valid safety reasons for limiting the levels of tinting!

goz83

I too am (not currently) a motorcyclist. I do see your point, but it's a reversible one at that. Plenty of motorcyclists with tinted visors out there and this takes away the possibility of eye contact. It is also very easy to "think" that the driver of the car has seen you and made eye contact, but this is not always the case and may cause an accident by thinking you have been seen, so exercising extreme caution is really the only way here.

Look at it this way; if the front windows were tinted on the car and the oncoming motorcyclist had his visor tinted and both drivers have seen eachother, then both drivers have to exercise extreme caution, because neither one knows if the other one has spotted him/her. I once made eye contact with a woman pulling out of a side road and she pulled right out in front of me. I missed her by an inch (thankfully I was only doing about 20mph on a moped). She was nothing but apologetic and said she "assumed" I was turning into the road she was coming from, because I "looked left". I was looking at HER :pac:

yop

Wouldnt mind getting the back windows done as its a bit bright in the back for the 2 kids. Anywhere in Mayo or Galway where I could get it done? How long does it take to get done?
Presuming I can't touch the driver and passenger side though front windows

goz83

yop wrote: »

Wouldnt mind getting the back windows done as its a bit bright in the back for the 2 kids. Anywhere in Mayo or Galway where I could get it done? How long does it take to get done?
Presuming I can't touch the driver and passenger side though front windows

Back windows are fine to do. Wouldn't even try the front windows tbh.

Stoolbend

yop wrote: »

Wouldnt mind getting the back windows done as its a bit bright in the back for the 2 kids. Anywhere in Mayo or Galway where I could get it done? How long does it take to get done?
Presuming I can't touch the driver and passenger side though front windows

Wasn't there a fella doing it in Westport before. I don't know if he's still doing it.

He did a few cars for me back in the day and the finish was perfect.

Tom Connor I think his name is.

Nodferatu

Speaking of the RSA and the law, are german style plates legal? With no dash and no county on the top?

dgt

Nodferatu wrote: »

Speaking of the RSA and the law, are german style plates legal? With no dash and no county on the top?

The font is legal, providing there's no slash on the zero, country is irl, county stickers are present and no stickers between numbers

mathepac

goz83 wrote: »

Not that i'm aware of. The tint installers should have a light meter.

Spot on. They need to measure the light transmission of the windows so they can pick a tint that will leave you legal. Some will tell you their tints are legal, which might be true if they're fitted to clear glass, which they seldom are.

Nodferatu

Well crap, my car reg plates have the IRL badge, german stickers no dash and no county on top. They were already on the car when i got it. Havent had car long enough to get nct done yet so i guess i may buy a set!!!

Chris_Heilong

Nodferatu wrote: »

Well crap, my car reg plates have the IRL badge, german stickers no dash and no county on top. They were already on the car when i got it. Havent had car long enough to get nct done yet so i guess i may buy a set!!!

I get mine from irishnumberplates.ie, as they are the legal font size and I received mine the next day which was faster than expected.

ironclaw

dgt wrote: »

The font is legal, providing there's no slash on the zero, country is irl, county stickers are present and no stickers between numbers

Not arguing but how does that work when you have the NCT Manual stating this? Surely the font wouldn't be within those bounds. I know the 'German Plate' thread has been done to death so its a genuine question. I was under the impression anything but 'the usual' font was a fail.

Schnitzel Muncher

goz83 wrote: »

Becareful though. Some windows are darker than other from the factory. a 30% tint film may make your windows darker than the allowed tint.

It also applies to sun strips. It's a bit of a joke really.

Allowing tints at all is the real joke.

Schnitzel Muncher

Schnitzel Muncher wrote: »

Allowing tints at all is the real joke.

There are good for back windows with kids in the car. Reduce sunlight, and can stop glass shattering in on top of them.

Schnitzel Muncher

[Deleted User] wrote: »

There are good for back windows with kids in the car. Reduce sunlight, and can stop glass shattering in on top of them.

They might be good for that (although they don't need a tint to stop glass shattering) but they are generally not used for that.

Chris_Heilong

Schnitzel Muncher wrote: »

Allowing tints at all is the real joke.

your post sounded troll like but in the event you are not a troll and this is you true feeling then tell use why you feel this way?

rovoagho

Was thinking the same thing myself. What possible reason could anyone have for objecting to tints in the back of a car? And how is it anyone's business but the owners?

(I have tints and two smallies now, but I had full side+back tints back in the day and I still fail to see the problem with them. It's just another example of lowest common denominator policies and politics, protecting us against stupid people, despite not asking for it. Let natural selection take its course.)

yop

Schnitzel Muncher wrote: »

Allowing tints at all is the real joke.

Why is it a joke?

ThisRegard

Deleted User wrote: »

There are good for back windows with kids in the car.

rovoagho wrote: »

Was thinking the same thing myself. What possible reason could anyone have for objecting to tints in the back of a car?

There was a tinting thread, last year I think it was, in which several posters said it was ridiculous getting tints in the rear of the car for kids, there were smarmy comments like what's going to happen to them, will they melt because of some skin disease and nonsense like that.

I have an estate with the rears tinted. Got them done because the windows are an awkward shape so regular blinds just don't work to protect the kid in back, plus the dogs in the boot benefit too.

yop

ThisRegard wrote: »

There was a tinting thread, last year I think it was, were several posters said it was ridiculous getting tints in the rear of the car for kids, there were smarmy comments like what's going to happen to them, will they melt because of some skin disease and nonsense like that.

I have an estate with the rears tinted. Got them done because the windows are an awkward shape so regular blinds just don't work to protect the kid in back, plus the dogs in the boot benefit too.

Same as, they are very good when you have kids in the back.

db91

I simply want tints on the front for privacy reasons, i don't necessarily want people being able to see me when i', in my car,, surely i have a right to that privacy ?

Anyhow get your car tested with nothing on the window then go have them tinted when u pass your test,, this will have to be done every 1/2 years depending..

Bandara

db91 wrote: »

I simply want tints on the front for privacy reasons, i don't necessarily want people being able to see me when i', in my car,, surely i have a right to that privacy ?

Anyhow get your car tested with nothing on the window then go have them tinted when u pass your test,, this will have to be done every 1/2 years depending..

They'll see you thru the windscreen

_Kaiser_

My current Passat has the front and rears done at the 35% level (the lightest one they have available). My new car will be getting the same when I pick it up next week. Keeps the car cooler, prevents casual nosiness, and make it a lot easier driving down the motorway on a bright day/evening.

Although it's an inconvenience having to remove the fronts for the NCT, it's never caused me any problems, never been stopped etc plus a lot of tinting places will do deals on NCT remove/reapply jobs anyway.

Niall_Buck

I heard you're allowed a sun strip as long as the bottom of it doesn't touch the top of the wipers when they're on (basically you cannot tint the part the the wipers clean. Any truth to this at all?

Eric Cartman

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

My current Passat has the front and rears done at the 35% level (the lightest one they have available). My new car will be getting the same when I pick it up next week. Keeps the car cooler, prevents casual nosiness, and make it a lot easier driving down the motorway on a bright day/evening.

Although it's an inconvenience having to remove the fronts for the NCT, it's never caused me any problems, never been stopped etc plus a lot of tinting places will do deals on NCT remove/reapply jobs anyway.

+1
I have 80% on the rears and 50% on the front windows, its great for stopping sun glare and stopping people seeing in to the car (the back during the day and the whole care at night), have no problems with visibility whatsoever and it looks well.

slimjimmc

Niall_Buck wrote: »

I heard you're allowed a sun strip as long as the bottom of it doesn't touch the top of the wipers when they're on (basically you cannot tint the part the the wipers clean. Any truth to this at all?

Urban myth, though you might get away with a sun strip along the blacked out portion of the windscreen.