Hos

iTrader: (1)

Got pulled on the A90 towards Perth today at around 8.30 this morning.
Straight fine of £30 & told to remove the tint in the drivers / passenger window at my discretion.

The car came with the lightest possible tint in the drivers / passenger window when i bought it. They only let 40% of the light through, whereas the legal limit is 75%. Also told that I was lucky, as with anything under 40% equates to 3 points & £60 fine.

Have spoken to a few other people in the Perth area & it seems that they are having a field day at the moment. Just a warning to ppl who didn't already know about the little revenue campaign.

Big Daz

Hmm This is bad news !! Better start watching my back

wrxmania

Speak to New to Scoob - John. His post a page or two back is VERY similar.

They have to make money to pay for their new equipment - they're just having fun - don't mean no harm

Boll*cks - that's why I had my fronts removed - not worth it really.

Brian.

eobd

I think that if you are pulled over for the tints and the Police produce the LVT meters to measure the light transfer through the tints, then I would ask them to what type approval, or other, the device was compliant with. For example, a road side alcometer; hand radar gun; VASCAR equipment; even the cars they drive are required to meet Home Office specs. If the Police were to breathalyse you with a non-approved alcometer then the reading recorded would not be valid in a Court of Law. Remember, the conditional offers they dish out are to save court time and give you the oppourtunity to pay a fixed sum and/or accure points. If you went to court I wonder what the validity of the devices would be.

Oh, and with all things bureaucratic, the officers using the devices have to be trained to use them accordingly, so you could ask for their authorisation status.

Just my two cents........

evojkp

Good points. What is needed is a test case to challenge it throught the courts, or indeed someone to challenge these at the roadside.

Also the point about consistency across the forces. Some off them actually target real crime and take a sensible attitude towards nonsense like this.

...John

eobd

Sometimes it is not prudent to challange the Police "at the side of the road". The stopped for the tints scenario could become tyres, brakes, full check, you know the works. If they need to 'find' something else then they will. If they do not, you'll be inconvenienced in the meantime. The best thing is to keep calm, opt for the conditional offer and then get into gear once they are away.

You have 35 days in which to comply with the conditional offer issued to you.
This effectively means you visit the local Police HQ and request to see all the Home Office approval certificates, officer authorisation etc. Remember, if they have the forms etc, then you have a right to see them. Maybe a solicitor could write to them for this info.

If it becomes apparant that they do not have these documents, send the conditional offer in with the payment, and include a letter expressing all your concerns. The reason is two fold. By sending in the payment within the period specified means you have complied with the terms of the conditional offer scheme. It is a seperate reportable and automatic procedure if you fail to comply, irrespective of whether you are in the wrong or otherwise. Additional the letter,as way of a complaint, means that the ticket office will review the circumstances and if there is any element of doubt they have the option to quash the conditional offer and refund you the money you paid. They can however let it run and the matter will be settled as far as they are concerned.

Personally I have tinted sunglasses which if I were to wear whilst driving during the day would result in me driving into something so the logic to this Act baffles me.

evojkp

Again, good mature thinking behind your points mate. Only wish I could have this rationale when I get stopped. Although I used my usual 'why-me?' argument one time going thru' Newark airport and I wished that I'd kept my big gub shut!!!
Not going too far into it but, *********, shackle and body search are all relevant things.
That's a story for another time , preferably after a few pints of Belhaven Best.

New To Scoob

Yup the A9 seems to be a hot spot just now, mine only allowed 35% through according to the machine, £30 fine and a warning that the car will now be on a register or something so it could be points next time, left it to my discression if I wanted to remove the tints or not.

John.

P37ERG

Fife police seem to be coming down on tints harder than central, i got no fine for 32% light passing on both windows, and a 7 day slip which cost me 20 quid to have them removed.