Red Card for Tinted Windows ?

Is it time for the Dail to outlaw motor cars and vans fitted with tinted windows ? A number of drivers, myself included, were dangerously impeded yesterday by a well throttled sports car when the driver forced his/her way against the green lighted traffic flow in a brazen and dangerous attempt to steal advantage in a traffic snarlup.

When the car got level with me I lowered my window to perhaps show my displeasure to the driver only to find myself looking straight at windscreen and sidewindows layered with some kind of shiny reflective material. I could not even tell if the driver was male or female.

Related the incident later to my local service station manager who told me that taximen and others repeatedly told him of banned drivers and persons wanted by the guards for crimes driving around every day undetected behind tinted windows.

Worries the hell out of me just thinking about that. Just what would it take to get the authorities moving on an issue like that ?

I agree 100%. The easiest way would be to put it on the NCT blacklist as an instant failure.

It's perfectly legal to have these at the moment.

See pdf file http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/6480-0.pdf page 22

Tinted windows pose problems for motorcyclists, as the rider can't be sure if the car driver, hidden behind the glass, has seen him/her.

The only problem with putting it on the NCT list is that cars under 4 years old wouldn't be tested so could get away with it.

Was there not something about banning modifications to cars in the news some time ago?

I think there is a major safety issue with heavy tints. I know in the UK the front side windows are subject to strict tint levels and if you wish to tint them it must be within these levels.
Mind you I with the current state of the roads and what muck is on most Lights never mind windows, I think it is an issue that won't be delt with any time soon.

Wonder what percentage of cars have current NCT cert?

the only window that is not allowed to be tinted is the windscreen