View Full Version : Darkened windscreens and window
I had never realised it - they're illegal in my country,
although for completely wrong reasons - but those
opaque/darkened windscreens are a damn danger for a cyclist.
There is no way to understand whether the bloke driving the
car has actually seen me, no way to establish eye contact.
You just have to a) jump on the pavement just to be sure or
b) pray he's not a complete idiot and that he is actually
aware of what's going on. I can't even see whether he/she is
actually looking in the right direction before turning!
Sorry, I had to let off a little steam, I had a rather scary
encounter this morning with a huge 4x4 with all glasses so
dark I couldn't even see if there were human beings inside
(which I doubt, given the way it steered)
Eugenio
Eugenio Mastroviti wrote:
> damn danger for a cyclist. There is no way to understand
> whether the bloke driving the car has actually seen me, no
> way to establish eye contact. You just have to a) jump on
> the pavement just to be sure or b) pray he's not a
> complete idiot
I wouldn't fancy relying on b), given that s/he (more
probably he, I'll grant you) has decided that opaque
windcreens are a Really Good Idea... ;-/
Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 15:43:31 +0100, Eugenio Mastroviti wrote:
> I had never realised it - they're illegal in my country,
> although for completely wrong reasons - but those
> opaque/darkened windscreens are a damn danger for a
> cyclist. There is no way to understand whether the bloke
> driving the car has actually seen me, no way to establish
> eye contact. You just have to a) jump on the pavement just
> to be sure or b) pray he's not a complete idiot and that
> he is actually aware of what's going on. I can't even see
> whether he/she is actually looking in the right direction
> before turning!
>
> Sorry, I had to let off a little steam, I had a rather
> scary encounter this morning with a huge 4x4 with all
> glasses so dark I couldn't even see if there were human
> beings inside (which I doubt, given the way it steered)
AIUI They're not legal in the UK either (if by "my country"
and your Italian sounding name the UK isn't yours,
notwithstanding the .co.uk :-).
You can have some tint on some windows, I believe, but
not on the windscreen and I'm not sure about the front
side windows.
--
Trevor Barton
Eugenio Mastroviti wrote:
> I had never realised it - they're illegal in my country,
> although for completely wrong reasons
They're also illegal in Florida, because people kept
shooting police officers through the darkened windows and
they couldn't see the weapons to get out of the way.
> - but those opaque/darkened windscreens are a damn danger
> for a cyclist. There is no way to understand whether the
> bloke driving the car has actually seen me, no way to
> establish eye contact. You just have to a) jump on the
> pavement just to be sure or b) pray he's not a complete
> idiot and that he is actually aware of what's going on.
> I can't even see whether he/she is actually looking in
> the right direction before turning!
>
> Sorry, I had to let off a little steam, I had a rather
> scary encounter this morning with a huge 4x4 with all
> glasses so dark I couldn't even see if there were human
> beings inside (which I doubt, given the way it steered)
Those things scare me even when the windows aren't tinted,
but Uhoh... Florida here we come...
AC
Eugenio Mastroviti wrote:
> I had never realised it - they're illegal in my country,
> although for completely wrong reasons - but those
> opaque/darkened windscreens are a damn danger for a
> cyclist. There is no way to understand whether the bloke
> driving the car has actually seen me, no way to establish
> eye contact. You just have to a) jump on the pavement just
> to be sure or
> b) pray he's not a complete idiot and that he is actually
> aware of what's going on. I can't even see whether
> he/she is actually looking in the right direction
> before turning!
>
> Sorry, I had to let off a little steam, I had a rather
> scary encounter this morning with a huge 4x4 with all
> glasses so dark I couldn't even see if there were human
> beings inside (which I doubt, given the way it steered)
>
> Eugenio
Not 100% sure if they are legal here either.Doubtless
someone will enlighten us. I agree with you they are a
hazard,never really thought about it before.
Sam Salt
---
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In article <c4k5nk$bb8$1@hercules.btinternet.com>,
i.broadheadnocrap@btinternetnocrap.com says...
> Not 100% sure if they are legal here either.Doubtless
> someone will enlighten us.
>
They are legal but only to a certain density. I think you
can even have a tinted front screen but the density is less
than sides and rear.
And I agree, not being able to make eye contact or see
if the driver is looking your way is an absolute pain
to cyclists.
--
Mark (MSA) This post is packaged by intellectual weight, not
volume. Some settling of contents may have occurred during
transmission
On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 15:48:39 +0000, Trevor Barton wrote:
> On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 15:43:31 +0100, Eugenio
> Mastroviti wrote:
>> I had never realised it - they're illegal in my country,
>> although for
> AIUI They're not legal in the UK either (if by "my
> country" and your Italian sounding name the UK isn't
> yours, notwithstanding the .co.uk :-).
That should have been "in my country of origin" :)
So they're illegal here too. Did anybody bother to inform
the Met of this fact? I've seen plenty around Highgate and
Finchley...
Eugenio
--
Q: How many right-to-lifers does it take to change a
light bulb?
R: Two. One to screw it in and one to say that light
started when the screwing began.
On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 20:10:26 +0100, Eugenio Mastroviti
<eugeniom@gointernet.co.uk> wrote:
>On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 15:48:39 +0000, Trevor Barton wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 15:43:31 +0100, Eugenio
>> Mastroviti wrote:
>>> I had never realised it - they're illegal in my country,
>>> although for
>
>> AIUI They're not legal in the UK either (if by "my
>> country" and your Italian sounding name the UK isn't
>> yours, notwithstanding the .co.uk :-).
>
>That should have been "in my country of origin" :)
>
>So they're illegal here too. Did anybody bother to inform
>the Met of this fact? I've seen plenty around Highgate and
>Finchley...
They're not illegal if they have the correct amount of light
transmission:
k/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_506860-
04.hcsp
In general they must allow 75% of light through the
windscreen and 70% of light through the other windows.
However there is an exception for windows which the driver
"is unable, at any time, to see the road". These windows can
be tinted as dark as you like.
--
"We take these risks, not to escape from life, but to
prevent life escaping from us." http://www.bensales.com (http://www.bensales.com/)
I've just taken delivery of a new people carrier and the
rear windows are tinted to prevent the "tea leafs" seeing
what's on the seats but the front and front side windows are
clear for exactly the reason you all mention, so that I can
be seen by other road users. So not all cagers are as daft
as some of you seem to think!!
"Eugenio Mastroviti" <eugeniom@gointernet.co.uk> wrote in
message
news:pan.2004.04.02.14.43.26.786533@gointernet.co.uk...
> I had never realised it - they're illegal in my country,
> although for completely wrong reasons - but those
> opaque/darkened windscreens are a damn danger for a
> cyclist. There is no way to understand whether the bloke
> driving the car has actually seen me, no way to establish
> eye contact. You just have to a) jump on the pavement just
> to be sure or b) pray he's not a complete idiot and that
> he is actually aware of what's going on. I can't even see
> whether he/she is actually looking in the right direction
> before turning!
>
> Sorry, I had to let off a little steam, I had a rather
> scary encounter this morning with a huge 4x4 with all
> glasses so dark I couldn't even see if there were human
> beings inside (which I doubt, given the way it steered)
>
> Eugenio
In article <c4kias$47q$1@hercules.btinternet.com>,
Steve.Watkin1 @btinternet.com says...
> I've just taken delivery of a new people carrier and the
> rear windows are tinted to prevent the "tea leafs" seeing
> what's on the seats but the front and front side windows
> are clear for exactly the reason you all mention, so that
> I can be seen by other road users. So not all cagers are
> as daft as some of you seem to think!!
>
>
That sounds just like my previa.
--
.paul
if at first you don't succeed... skydiving is probably not
the sport for you
They are a danger sign.... Somehow you have a good idea of
the personality behind the glass... Guard up!
Richard Webb
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