Window Tint testing

[briskoonie08]

Hi guys,

I know cops are cracking down on darker then 35% window tint more these days but I hadn't heard of anyone getting busted till I got done last night at a servo of all places.

Was filling up and a highway patrolman pulled in to fill up and asked me to wait for a second and grabbed the tester from his vehicle. $110 fine and 1 demerit point.

Now the question I'm hoping someone can shed some light on is:

Is there a certain time of day/condition under which the cops have to test under?

I'm asking this because when the test took place it was dusk and the servo wasn't well lit. The machine he used didn't actually shine it's own light to test it merely read from whatever light was passing through the window at the time and read less then 35% and given full sun it would've read more then what it did...

[BDA074]

Doubt would matter. Would measure percentage difference outside to inside. All relative...

[foxtrot3]

Hi. The next question is "what is the % rating of your tint?" , go back to the place who did the tint and get them to check it and write you a letter saying what it is then tell the cops that your going to fight it. Dont just go on what the end of the box says though as when it is stuck on factory tint glass it can add about 5%. That is 35% vlt becomes 30% vlt. Cheers MD

[sneaky]

what did you think the rating on your tint was?
if you knew it was too dark, then what is the complaint.
if it was 'factory' tint (there is/was a company kicking around with that as the company name) and you were under the impression that it was legal, then i'd be a bit annoyed.

[kempy311]

I suppose at least he didn't sticker you.

[uniacidz]

So what tint percentage you have?






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[Madaya]

I was surprised to swap a few car bits with a lad who said he wasn't allowed to drive his Ford at night. Tint is to dark. Rules

[2011G6E]

Then again, we got questioned on the tint on the rear side windows on the doors of our 2011 Triton twin cab GLX-R. The rear doors have "privacy glass" from the factory...it's mentioned in the brochure as a "special feature". The tint on those two windows and the rear window (which doesn't count as the canopy is behind it) is really dark. I don't know exactly how dak as the copper at the random breath test unit who asked didn't have one of those testers, but at night it looks almost black, and in daylight you notice how dark the back windows are compared to the factory tint on the front drivers and passenger doors. The closest I could come is that "limo tint" you can buy which is down around 10 to 15%.

As far as I was aware, you can have windows as dark as you like as long as they start behind the driver and passenger in the front...only the driver and front passenger side windows need to be no darker than 35%.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by briskoonie08

Was filling up and a highway patrolman pulled in to fill up and asked me to wait for a second and grabbed the tester from his vehicle. $110 fine and 1 demerit point.

Just for a chuckle, next time (if there is one) ask Mr Plod if he could show how it works on his tinting.... betcha he'll refuse. A lot of tinting on Highway cars are marginally legal.

[jawmalawm23]

Here in Nz I got pulled up for not giving way so got a fine for that and I had 5% so the cop grabbed a card out and I assume because it was a bright sunny day and he could read it through the tint I didn't get a fine. It must have been his first time testing because its pretty easy to tell 5% from 35%

[ozpacman]

Not wanting to hijack the thread, however many years ago I went out with a girl who owned an XE Falcon that had quite dark tint. That car was downright dangerous to drive at night as the dash lights reflected on the tinted glass and you could hardly see the lights of other vehicles to your right especially. I wound the driver side front window down every time I drove it at night. I can see why really dark tint is frowned upon.

Russ

[AU3XSR]

Hi All

From what I know of the OP's story, the window tint was applied to an FG ute and was supposed to be T20 for all of the window's. The reading that the police have claimed is 11%.

The issue is not really whether the tint was legal or not (T20 is definitely not legal in QLD and we accept that it deserves a ticket). I think the crux of the question is, given the conditions, whether the testing regime that was carried out - i.e. hand held test unit used after dusk (low ambient light conditions) is considered accurate. I'm guessing that even with the mild factory tint plus the T20 film the reading shouldn't be as low as 11%.

Not sure what sort of test unit was actually used. I thought that these things had their own light source so that the readings would be consistent from car to car irrespective of the time of day/conditions. I think a reading of 11% has thrown up some doubt as to the accuracy of the testing.

[ratter]

if you have factory tinted glass, you can not use window tint as dark as what can be used on clear glass, the reading is an overall reading

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Just for a chuckle, next time (if there is one) ask Mr Plod if he could show how it works on his tinting.... betcha he'll refuse. A lot of tinting on Highway cars are marginally legal.

Yes, in Rocky there's an unmarked car which has popped up now and then...a Commodore wagon...and the windows on it look like they're spray painted black...you can hardly see inside on a sunny day.

I accidentally picked up a roll of tint in Autobarn once to do an old Rodeo ute we owned at the time, and it was too dark. It was only 5%, but 35% is quite dark enough for any reasonable purpose. I held it up in daylight and thought...hmm...could be too dark, oh well, I'll put it on and try it.
That night I drove it to work.
The next day I couldn't wait to remove it and went and bought the proper 35% stuff.
You simply could not see out to the sides and rear at night with any safety. No idea why anyone would want that on the front windows...the rear side windows and rear window I can understand, but jeez...there's such a thing as sacrificing safety for looks...

[superfly]

To the OP, whereabouts are you located?

[Top_Ghia]

Here in Victoria you can no longer tint the rear side and rear windows as dark as you like. The rules have changed. The limit for the entire vehicle is 30 or 35%. I forget which.
Also police are exempt from vehicle standard laws for special use vehicles. What's a special use vehicle? Probably anything they say it is. Many police cars get tinted 5% in the rear and cargo areas.

According to the tinter at work it is technically illegal to apply any tint to factory privacy glass, even clear uv tint. Why, you ask? Because you have applied tint to a window that is already too dark and will fail any test of light transmission.

[2011G6E]

There's plenty of things that come out factory standard but which cops will tell you "the factory got it wrong"
The "lane change indicator feature" on our G6E (probably on all Falcons) where you flick the switch and you get three flashes of the indicator to change lanes. I got pulled over and warned in Rocky (no other cars on the road at the time) that I didn't indicate for long enough. I pointed out the flasher feature, and he said "The factory is wrong".
Same as I said with the rear windows on our Triton.
Then there was the stink a few years back in four wheel drive circles about the Nissan Patrol with the spare tyre mounted on the rear as factory standard...apparently from one side you can't see all of the number plate, even though it's all factory standard fitting and there's nothing the owner can do about it. Police said it was illegal as a camera might not pick up the number plate. Once again, "the factory got it wrong".

No...you're just a numptie who won't admit that the rest of the worlds car makers don't design cars according to what you think. They make them to meet our ADR's.

[Squish]

Lately I've been looking at darkening the tint on my FG a bit (mainly to help with the heat). This is making me rethink the idea though.

[cupic]

I have had surgery for skin lesions...this has me thinking that the tint behind driver is factory dark and if I get a Dr Cert stating that matching the privacy to the dark tint could be medical benefit my health

Would this wash to the Cops? :O

[richo77]

Originally Posted by cupic

I have had surgery for skin lesions...this has me thinking that the tint behind driver is factory dark and if I get a Dr Cert stating that matching the privacy to the dark tint could be medical benefit my health

Would this wash to the Cops? :O

For UV protection you can get clear films. The darker the tint isnt necessarily better UV protection, its just light transmission that reduces the darker you go.

[MercurySilver]

ive gotta turn that 3 flash indicator thing off
seriously no good

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Top_Ghia

Here in Victoria you can no longer tint the rear side and rear windows as dark as you like. The rules have changed. The limit for the entire vehicle is 30 or 35%. I forget which.
Also police are exempt from vehicle standard laws for special use vehicles. What's a special use vehicle? Probably anything they say it is. Many police cars get tinted 5% in the rear and cargo areas.

According to the tinter at work it is technically illegal to apply any tint to factory privacy glass, even clear uv tint. Why, you ask? Because you have applied tint to a window that is already too dark and will fail any test of light transmission.

How would that work for me because on my Ambulance the rear side windows and rear windscreen are 5% tint I think on the rear box, you can't see in but the people inside can see out.

Its registered as an ambulance still and it can have two passengers in the rear legally.

[Top_Ghia]

It probably wouldn't work for you if challenged. What do you mean it's registered as an ambulance? Maybe it's factory privacy glass which is legal.
Check the Vic roads web site. I'm sure it's all on there.

[Squish]

Actually now that I've thought about it, does anyone else wonder if they're cracking down a bit harder on dark tint to pave the way for the introduction of facial recognition software on speed and red light cameras? I've read about this supposedly being introduced in several states and I believe the new NSW mobile speed cameras already have the ability and are waiting for it to go live. While I'm sure. 5% tint wouldn't stop the top of the line tech from getting a score they'd save millions just by making sure the visibility into a car is within the specifications of the government's technology and budget. Here in NSW they've changed the process for getting a licence photo taken and are storing facial recognition data.

Just to be clear I'm not a conspiracy theorist and I can definitely see the value of the technology in fighting crime. It's just that I haven't known many people at all who've been booked for tinting until the last year or so.

Just my rant.

[Top_Ghia]

I've seen plenty who have been defected over the years for dark tint. It's not new and is a safety issue.

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by Squish

Actually now that I've thought about it, does anyone else wonder if they're cracking down a bit harder on dark tint to pave the way for the introduction of facial recognition software on speed and red light cameras? I've read about this supposedly being introduced in several states and I believe the new NSW mobile speed cameras already have the ability and are waiting for it to go live. While I'm sure. 5% tint wouldn't stop the top of the line tech from getting a score they'd save millions just by making sure the visibility into a car is within the specifications of the government's technology and budget. Here in NSW they've changed the process for getting a licence photo taken and are storing facial recognition data.

Just to be clear I'm not a conspiracy theorist and I can definitely see the value of the technology in fighting crime. It's just that I haven't known many people at all who've been booked for tinting until the last year or so.

Just my rant.

I think it has a bit to do with safety i.e. if you get pulled over and they can't see whats in the back etc.