tinted windows

girloperfection

sorry if there is already a thread about this...i want to get the windows of my car tinted and i was wondering could anyone tell me does this affect the nct in any way?

OKenora

tinting a windscreen is illegal if it reduces light transmission to below 75%.
Tinting anything in front of the B pillars is illegal if the tint reduces light transmission to below 70%. For reference 25% is about standard "tinted" windows as they would come from the manafacturer. Even tints sold as lightest smoke can be darker than this.

Tinting any window behind the B pillar to any level is fine so limo black on the rear windows is legal.

I would imagine limo black or a silvered finish on the fronts should be an NCT failure. Some people say they can still see out perfectly, and i can't disagree, they can, but the law is there to allow people to see in as well as out and make eye contact with the driver. This is especially important for cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists to be able to see the driver and judge has he seen them.

The above is not an Irish law but a European law/directive, how actively the Gardai enforce it I do not know.

EXACT ALLLOWED TINTS
Windscreen : 25% tinted, maximum 6 inches sunstrip
front sides: 30% tinted
Rear sides : 100% tinted
Rear window : 100% tinted

Your car should (i say should) fail an NCT as unsafe for road use with illegal tints but I have seen many cars pass NCT's with illegal tints (my own has passed 2 MOT's with illegal 60% tints on the front windows) so can only presume that either they do not test this (like UK MOT's), don't care about it or haven't got the correct equipment to test it (also for UK MOT's).

Masada

thats right., the NCT centres dont have the facilities to test the amount of light the tint is stopping., i tinted a car for a mate and used dark smoke all round and it was really dark, hard to see out of but it stil passed the nct.,

OKenora

By the way, I supplied all the specs for tinting for reference. Tinting is not cheap to get done (properly anwyay) and while something may not be a source of NCT failures and Gardai stopping you today that will not last forever. The law is already in place that outlaws a lot of tints and it's only a matter of time before the enforcement catches up.

Would be a shame to spend a lot on tints to have to remove them at some time in the future so having the right specs now lets you make an informed choice and decide if you want to gamble or not

domonick

what kind of car are you looking to get done?

Masada

they have been trying to clamp down on tints but after a well known case where a driver got off coz the judge asked the copper why he wasnt pulling over celebraties, limos, ERU ect, most cases are being thrown out., including a friend of mine who was summoned because of them.,

OKenora

It's only a matter of time before enforcement catches up though. The thing with limos is that they are usually only blacked out at the back, which is legal. The tints in no way interfere with the drivers vision or at best minimally.

Some day enforcement will match the actual law, probably after some bad car smash where a car with tints is involved and the tints are cited as a contributory factor.