Legislation regarding tinting car windows

Kartell · Post by **Kartell** » Fri Sep 19, 2014 10:28 am

Goodmorning,

I have a question about what is legal when it comes to tinting car windows.
I know that the windows behind the B pillar can be as black as you want, as long as you have a mirror on the passenger side.
I'm asking now about the front windows (not the windscreen, I don't want to tint that one anyway).
My daughter has extremely light sensitive eyes. It's so bad that she has to wear sunglasses inside now. I would really like to tint the front windows also but my wife says it's absolutely 100% illegal to put any film on the front windows. I don't agree since I've read about EU laws and in many countries it's allowed to have up to 50% tint on the front windows. Besides, I see plenty of luxery cars driving around that have quite dark front windows from the factory.

Can somebody please tell me what EU legislation is on this topic?

**Sponsor:**

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Fri Sep 19, 2014 2:14 pm

Kartell wrote:Goodmorning,

I have a question about what is legal when it comes to tinting car windows.
I know that the windows behind the B pillar can be as black as you want, as long as you have a mirror on the passenger side.
I'm asking now about the front windows (not the windscreen, I don't want to tint that one anyway).
My daughter has extremely light sensitive eyes. It's so bad that she has to wear sunglasses inside now. I would really like to tint the front windows also but my wife says it's absolutely 100% illegal to put any film on the front windows. I don't agree since I've read about EU laws and in many countries it's allowed to have up to 50% tint on the front windows. Besides, I see plenty of luxery cars driving around that have quite dark front windows from the factory.

Can somebody please tell me what EU legislation is on this topic?

Keyword bolded.

"16 §
Tuulilasi ja muut ikkunat

1. Tuulilasin valonläpäisykyvyn on oltava vähintään 75 % ja etusivuikkunoiden sekä henkilöautontakaikkunan valonläpäisykyvyn vähintään 70 %. Tuulilasissa ja etusivuikkunoissa ei saa käyttää jälkeenpäin asennettavia kalvoja eikä niitä saa muullakaan tavalla muuttaa tai peittää siten, että niiden valonläpäisykyky heikkenee. Muissakaan ikkunoissa ei saa käyttää sellaisia kalvoja tai niitä muuttaa muulla vastaavalla tavalla siten, että ikkunoista voi aiheutua haitallisia heijastuksia."

edit. Pilkington has yts going, maybe you could score new windows for cheap. That is legal.

Kartell · Post by **Kartell** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:46 pm

Thanks for your answer.

But I'm confused how something can be legal in one country and illegal in the other and I'm not talking about drugs but a European standardized system for vehicle approval and safety. In other words could I tell mr. Finnish police officer to go eat some musta makkara because my vehicle is registered and inspected in accordance with EU legislation?

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:10 pm

Kartell wrote:Thanks for your answer.

But I'm confused how something can be legal in one country and illegal in the other and I'm not talking about drugs but a European standardized system for vehicle approval and safety. In other words could I tell mr. Finnish police officer to go eat some musta makkara because my vehicle is registered and inspected in accordance with EU legislation?

Yes you could tell the police off. And yes they could put you in cuffs and haul you to cool down for a while behind the bars.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:45 pm

I think the first place to make you eat the musta makkara would be the Katsastus before the
Poliisi got around

orys · Post by **orys** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 12:07 am

Kartell wrote:Thanks for your answer.

But I'm confused how something can be legal in one country and illegal in the other and I'm not talking about drugs but a European standardized system for vehicle approval and safety. In other words could I tell mr. Finnish police officer to go eat some musta makkara because my vehicle is registered and inspected in accordance with EU legislation?

Is your car registered in another EU country? In that case, yes, they can bugger off. If the car is registered in country A and legal there, they have to respect that on the basis on Vienna convention. But if you live in Finland, you have to register your car in Finland (common rule for EU says that you can use foreign registered car in other country for maximum of 6 months). And to register it in Finland, it has to pass Finnish inspection and meet Finnish requirements.

If you were stopped and you had 0.8 ml per g of alcohol, will you tell Finnish police to get lost, because this is legal limit in United Kingdom? If you were stopped for smoking Marihuana, would you tell them to get lost, because smoking weed is legal in Holland and not enforced in Czech Republic?

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 7:57 am

orys wrote:
Kartell wrote:Thanks for your answer.

But I'm confused how something can be legal in one country and illegal in the other and I'm not talking about drugs but a European standardized system for vehicle approval and safety. In other words could I tell mr. Finnish police officer to go eat some musta makkara because my vehicle is registered and inspected in accordance with EU legislation?
Is your car registered in another EU country? In that case, yes, they can bugger off.

Unless the driver is registered here. Finns and residents of Finland are not allowed to drive foreign registered cars, except when there is foreign registered owner sitting in the car at the same time.

edit. http://www.tulli.fi/en/finnish_customs/ ... 005_en.pdf

Kartell · Post by **Kartell** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 10:36 am

Thanks for all the replies, but I still think there's a bit double standards regarding this topic.

Situation A. I buy a brand new car that comes with tinted front windows from the factory. Let's say these windows are 40% tinted. Police stops me and wants to give me a ticket but because the car has EU certificate from the factory he can not do anything.

Situation B. I drive my old car and decide to get the windows tinted. These windows have the exact same 40% tint as car in situation A. Police stops me and can give me a ticket eventhough EU rules regarding vehicle safety states that it's legal to tint windows up untill certain percent.

This is not some vague law like pot smoking toleration rules. This is a standardisation of rules that all car manufacturers have to abide to if they want to sell cars within the EU.

But I guess local laws are above EU laws? I remember that my previous car had some safety features that the importer had to turn off because of Finnish law. Absolute bollocks if you ask me.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 1:37 pm

Kartell wrote:Situation A. I buy a brand new car that comes with tinted front windows from the factory. Let's say these windows are 40% tinted. Police stops me and wants to give me a ticket but because the car has EU certificate from the factory he can not do anything.

Situation B. I drive my old car and decide to get the windows tinted. These windows have the exact same 40% tint as car in situation A. Police stops me and can give me a ticket eventhough EU rules regarding vehicle safety states that it's legal to tint windows up untill certain percent.

Blame the crappy quality and application of aftermarket stuff. If they would be as neat as tinted glass and as likely to scratch then there wouldn't be need to have different rules for them. Get your old car's windows tinted by replacing them.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 1:37 pm

Kartell wrote:But I guess local laws are above EU laws? I remember that my previous car had some safety features that the importer had to turn off because of Finnish law. Absolute bollocks if you ask me.

Which safety features?

Kartell · Post by **Kartell** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 2:26 pm

Upphew wrote:
Kartell wrote:But I guess local laws are above EU laws? I remember that my previous car had some safety features that the importer had to turn off because of Finnish law. Absolute bollocks if you ask me.
Which safety features?

It was a Citroen C5 that had a feature where the hazzard lights would automatically turn on when braking hard. This had to be deactivated to comply with Finnish law.

foca · Post by **foca** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 8:50 pm

[quote="Kartell"]

It was a Citroen C5 that had a feature where the hazzard lights would automatically turn on when braking hard. This had to be deactivated to comply with Finnish law.[/

This is a specific french thing which seems to be legal only in France. Even in Germany, if a french car is sold through a dealer that feature is to be turned off.
As for tinted windows the regulations vary throughout Europe . F.e. In Italy no windows can be tinted at all unless it is a police or governmental vehicle - mafia lives forever!!!. out of my personal experience at the Russian border crossings , it works in a very simple way : if your front windows are film tinted - you have an option to remove the film by yourself at the horder crossing or you can turn back. Same thing I have seen at the ferry unloading bay with Estonian cars.

Kartell · Post by **Kartell** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:10 pm

Foca I'm sure that this feature is not a France-only thing. A friend who lives in the Netherlands has a C5 and his car did not have the feature turned off.

Thanks for your reply by the way

foca · Post by **foca** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:48 pm

Kartell wrote:Foca I'm sure that this feature is not a France-only thing. A friend who lives in the Netherlands has a C5 and his car did not have the feature turned off.

Which only proves the fact that certain regulations are not EU imposed but are a result of local traditions and rules.
i can give another example of varying rules applied in different eu countries for imported American cars. In some countries red turn lights are allowed (which is a norm for American cars) while in others they should be changed for yellow ones.

orys · Post by **orys** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 12:40 am

foca wrote:
Kartell wrote:Foca I'm sure that this feature is not a France-only thing. A friend who lives in the Netherlands has a C5 and his car did not have the feature turned off.
Which only proves the fact that certain regulations are not EU imposed but are a result of local traditions and rules.
i can give another example of varying rules applied in different eu countries for imported American cars. In some countries red turn lights are allowed (which is a norm for American cars) while in others they should be changed for yellow ones.

Out of curiosity: in what country, apart from non-EU countries like Switzerland, is that legal?

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