Tinted windows in cars

We have tinted windows on our car (but bought it like this). very handy for me with young baby as shades him from the sun and very handy when feeding in (parked obviously!)

My car has tinted windows in the back (it came with them not because I particularly wanted them). I suppose it helps to prevent people looking in your back seat to see if there is anything of any value and also in the summer I find it does help to keep the car cooler.

I'd not put them in the front windows but i do quite like how they look on my car in the back.

I was just about to ask is it illegal to have tinted windows in the front now? The 4x4 I am looking at has them as standard but I'm sure there was some law passed where by its now illegal? Unless I dreamt it?

We have them in the back but they are standard on the car. Great with a child as no need for sun shades on the window.

HB I think they have to let so much light through to be legal in the front. I was watching one of those road wars type programme and the police used a device to test how much light came through. He then made them peel them off before they could go!

Our car has lightly tinted windows in the back (bought like this) but the cars I am seeing have windows that are completely black. Surely it affects your visibility? I know if they park next to me it is impossible for me to see if there are cars coming through their windows.

WMS - one of my colleagues bought a car from their niece with tinted windows and ended up getting stopped by the police who tested how much light they let through. They had to have them changed (colleague is over 60 so police let them leave with a promise to sort out, rather than on the spot as they "didn't look like a boy racer"!)

We've just brought a new car and have had them in the back. the shape of the window would have made it quite difficult to have sun shades up in the summer so seemed like the best soloution.

you can have front windows slightly tinted - think it's 20% tint max legally - most cars are 60% tint in rear as factory standard.

RBH, see what you mean about being parked next to them but surely the same would apply to vans?

I'd actually quite like tinted ones in the back as I keep buying different baby sun shades and none of them seem t work properly ?

My in-laws were stopped for the exact same reason this weekend. They have a 'new to them' ex-demonstrator vehicle in which, it turns out, the front windows are too tinted

Apparently they need to let through circa 70% of light and the in-laws windows only let through 35% ish.

Mr police man said he would be contacting the garage that sold the vehicle on the grounds that it shouldn't have been sold in its unroadworthy state......

I have to say that the car looks nice though!

Yes, the same can be said about vans although very few of them park in the nursery drop off bays (which is where I first started pondering why people have tinted windows!). It was just a ponder really, I have always associated tinted windows with boy racers but they seem to be appearing on all sorts of cars now.

Fair point RBH! I hate it when 4 x 4s, vans etc park next to me and totally block my view to get out. This probably explains why I reverse in to spaces each and every time - I know it doesn't solve it totally but it's a help. Apart from the rare times when my H parks somewhere and I have to drive out and then realise I've totally forgotten how to reverse out of spaces!

Here in Oz, tinted windows are pretty standard.

Our back windows are very dark- darkest legal version- which helps prevent sunglare and also fading in the car. Our front windowscreen and driver, passenger windows are only allowed to have a light tint.

They are excellent for the amount of harsh sun we get.....and prevent people seeing into the back seat of our car!

My friend and I were wondering this recently too and concluded that they were for concealing the fact that you're eating a Ginster's pasty.

WPS, only substitute Oz for Texas (hit the 90s today and it's only early May)

? I never thought of that as a reason.

I had the back windows of my car tinted after my little boy was born.