Crackdown on tinted car windows

Car windscreens must let in 75% of light to meet legal requirements

Cars with tinted windows will be targeted by roadside inspectors in a nationwide crackdown on road safety.

Police and the Department of Transport are worried drivers' vision is being impaired by windows which are darker than the legal limit.

Spot checks using light meters will find out if cars meet regulations stating windscreens must let in 75% of light and side windows 70%.

It is the first time the checks have been carried out across the UK.

The new checks have been added to the standard roadside checks carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

In the current climate, where people who are banned drivers can hide behind tinted windows so the police can't recognise them, this is a positive step The AA

The agency was first asked to inspect cars with tinted windows last year by North Wales police after a motorcyclist died in an accident allegedly involving a car with tinted windows.

A VOSA spokeswoman said many drivers did not realise their vision was "significantly impaired" by tinted glass.

She told BBC News Online: "The issue is something we've been aware of for some time.

"Once we had helped North Wales police with their checks we realised it was quite a wide ranging issue."

Prohibition orders

VOSA inspectors can issue prohibition orders forcing unfit cars to be towed away until the necessary adjustments have been made.

An AA spokeswoman said the motoring organisation welcomed the move.

She said: "In the current climate, where people who are banned drivers can hide behind tinted windows so the police can't recognise them, this is a positive step."