Why do motorists appreciate the benefits of tinted windows?

Smoked windows or dark tinted windows have long been associated with additional luxury. Formerly visible on high-end vehicles for personalities traveling in discretion, they are now widely used on modern automobiles.

A source of elegance and comfort, they offer undeniable advantages in protecting you from solar radiation. The car heats up less, the air conditioning is limited. The other side of the coin, it is precisely their side sometimes a little too confidential… which besides generated the new law. Let’s find out.

What does the recent regulation say about tinted glazing?

The April 2016 decree, which came into force in 2017, has sometimes caused panic. Motorists wondered if they were going to have to replace their windows or if their tinted windows passed the technical inspection! What exactly does the law require regarding your tinted windows?

The new legal provisions focus only on the front part of the automobile: the windscreen and the side windows.

The goal is for you to be visible from the outside. You were used to being told about the obligation, as a driver, to have excellent visibility. From now on, you must also be seen easily in the event of control by the public authorities. Forgotten seatbelt, telephone while driving, excessive number of passengers, in short, all these offenses must be able to be observed by an agent with a simple visual check.

You must respect a VLT (Visible Light Transmission) of at least 70%: this is the amount of light that your tinted window must let through. In other words, the glass added to the treatment must not filter more than 30% of the light radiation. This principle is valid whether the glass is tinted in the mass or whether you have had a film applied to darken it.

Non-compliance leads to a report: a 4th class fine, currently 135 euros, coupled with a withdrawal of three points and of course an obligation to rectify your tinted windows.

Good to know: it is the owner of the vehicle who is fined, not the driver. In addition, in the event of a violation, if you are sure that your tinted windows comply with the standards, you can have them appraised and contest the report.

There are derogations: they concern the public authorities, the transport which ensures the safety of people, goods, the convoy of funds. A tolerance also exists for certain recognized pathologies excluding contact with light.

If you don’t want to pay a fine, it is better to check your vehicle thoroughly. Especially since this law, retroactive, concerns all vehicles in circulation! So, do your tinted windows pass the technical inspection to come? If they are not compliant, no!

Do the tinted windows pass the technical inspection or do the films have to be removed?

Do you think you are affected? On your car, do the tinted windows pass the technical inspection which is planned soon? If you go by the law, the benchmarks are simple. There are, however, a few tricks to be aware of.

If your vehicle was put into circulation after 2017, then you can breathe. Car manufacturers have changed the manufacture of glazing since the new regulations. Even if your glasses are colored, they will comply.

If it’s at the back of the car , your tinted windows pass the technical inspection without any problem. You only need to pay attention to the windshield and the front side windows.

The technical control center which carries out the safety assessment must use an approved measuring device.

If you have any doubts, our technicians will be able to give you their opinion. Drive with a free spirit, it’s much more pleasant than wasting time and money because of windows that are too dark!