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Velomobiles and UK Window Tinting Laws

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groundhog59 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote groundhog59 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Velomobiles and UK Window Tinting Laws
    Posted: 05 September 2015 at 9:08am
Hi,

Does anyone know if the UK " Vehicle Window Tinting " Laws apply to Velomobiles ?

Can you have Tinted windows on a Velomobile used on UK roads, is it legal ?
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GeoffBird View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GeoffBird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 September 2015 at 11:05am
I doubt if anybody, including the legislators and the police, know that. But it could become pertinent in a court case where a case for equivalences to Construction and Use Regulations for motor vehicles could be made?

Edited by GeoffBird - 05 September 2015 at 11:06am
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groundhog59 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote groundhog59 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 September 2015 at 11:31am
Yeah, finding it hard to get an answer on this one. Emailed the Ministry of Transport about it 2 weeks ago, still waiting for a reply. Probably still scratching theirs head about what a Velomobile is :)
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Yanto View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Yanto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 September 2015 at 12:48pm
It's not a motor vehicle therefore no motor vehicle laws apply.

If you think about it are there any laws for how dark your sunglasses are.

If you think about it would you want to ride in low light levels in a velomobile with a dark tint?  I wouldn't.

If you want you could heavily tint the upper portion of a screen and leave lower clear.

Out of interest what velo are we talking about?
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AlanGoodman View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AlanGoodman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 September 2015 at 2:23pm
For motorcycle visors there is a minimum light transmission of 50% which is actually a fairly light tint (and tinted visors are for daytime use only of course). Ian is right though the motor vehicle regulations don't apply to HPVs - common sense is all we have to go on. :o) 

Edited by AlanGoodman - 05 September 2015 at 2:25pm

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GeoffBird Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 September 2015 at 3:44pm
Court cases about insurance claims aren't just decided on a strict interpretation of the rules of the road. Not wearing of a helmet has been taken into account despite it not being a legal requirement. Non BS approved lighting likewise despite much cycle lighting not having BS approval (apparently the committee only convenes about once every 10 years IIRC). Lawyers will use any crack and prise at it (if you excuse the clumsy metaphor...).
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Karl View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Karl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 September 2015 at 7:09pm
Don't mean to be a pedant but light through something, is measured in transmittance or transmissivity between 0-100%, in this case visible light.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmittance

Might make a difference is your googling a search for further details in the subject.

'Transmission' is something the Yanks call a gear box.

Karl
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AlanGoodman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 September 2015 at 7:24pm

Pretty sure it was referred to as light transmission in BS 4110:1979 although European standard that replaced it (ECE 22-05 and I think BS4110: 1999) referred to Light Transmittance.

At least one of the sunglasses specifications referred to luminous transmittance.
 
As well as the level of tint colour recognition is important (a green filter will take out red light for example).
 
I worked for The British Standards Institution as a test engineer in the Transport and Recreation Laboratories from 1980 to 1996, testing eye protection among other things and sat on the BSI technical committees and interpretation panels that looked after BS4110 for vehicle users and BS2092 for industrial eye protection... Big smile

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