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tinted/mirrored visor laws

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adamcpi50sx08
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PostPosted: 22:20 - 05 Jan 2009    Post subject: tinted/mirrored visor laws Reply with quote

hi all, i have a motorcross helmet and im getting confused here, i have a mirrored set of goggles and a clear set, when i first got my bike i was told that if you carry your clear visor (goggles in my case) for when the hours of darkness come you can use your mirrored/tinted visor while it is light (daytime), then i was told that you were only alowed to use mirrored/tinted visors on the road if it is a certain percentage of transparency of something along the lines of that and now i am being told that its illegal to use a mirrored or tinted visor but the cops will turn a blindeye to it unless its at night or in murky conditions. Do any of you guys ride on the road with a tinted or mirrored visor and does anyone know what will happen if i do get pulled for using the mirrored set of goggles during the daytime , thanks a lot , adam
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Last edited by adamcpi50sx08 on 22:30 - 05 Jan 2009; edited 1 time in total
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nick606
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PostPosted: 22:30 - 05 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

The thing is its suppose to be a certain percent tint to be legal. But most copper i think will just turn a blind to it. Well all the ones that have pulled me have.
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alun111
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PostPosted: 22:30 - 05 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not sure about goggles but for visors, you're right in saying:

"i was told that you were only alowed to use mirrored/tinted visors on the road if it is a certain percentage of transparency." 50% tint to be specific. They generally don't sell visors/inserts in the shops that aren't road legal.

"if you carry your clear visor (goggles in my case) for when the hours of darkness come you can use your mirrored/tinted visor while it is light (daytime)"
- although you do not have to carry your clear visor/goggles, but you do have to change over when it's gets darker
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adamcpi50sx08
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PostPosted: 22:33 - 05 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

so you've been pulled and they have never said anything about the visor, how dark is the tint on yours ,mine is a total mirror u cant see my face at all
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nick606
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PostPosted: 23:56 - 05 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ive been pulled he asked why i had a illegal visor i said cos it was sunny and he left it at that. But not all copper will be like that but im prepared to take the risk.
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Villers
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PostPosted: 01:19 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought the road legal percentage for a tint was much lower, maybe something like 35% (unless thats for window tints?).

Quote:
They generally don't sell visors/inserts in the shops that aren't road legal.


Are you just meaning high street? My local bike shops dont seem to sell much beyond bikes and clothing anymore (was in one looking for a fog city insert or similar recently and they had nothing of the sort) but they used to sell iridium and dark tints. From the internet you can pick an illegal visor very easily.

Have a look at bazza's post regarding police legislation for an opinion on how the police should look at visors. It seems to mirror what the current accepted attitude is believed to be (dark during daylight, but not at acceptable at night). As for goggles, surely its no different from driving your car during the day wearing a pair of oakley dark tint sunglasses or having a tinted insert - i.e. behind the visor so not applicable?
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 01:49 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

Legal tint allows 50% of the light through. Which is a barely noticeable tint.

If the tint is more than that then it is illegal to use on the road. Doesn't matter how bright the sun is or whether or not you have a clear visor with you as well.

However being illegal and getting done for it a 2 different things. If you are using an illegal visor sensibly then you will probably get away with it.

All the best

Keith
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vt6
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PostPosted: 08:53 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wear a 'dark tint' visor. Fairly illegal but carry a clear with just as extra backup if pulled whether it helps or not I dont know.
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Wafer_Thin_Ham
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PostPosted: 09:03 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just wear a dark tint. You've have to be quite unlucky to get done if you're using it responsibly. i.e. not at night or in dark conditions.
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Kris
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PostPosted: 10:40 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Big_Ham wrote:
Just wear a dark tint. You've have to be quite unlucky to get done if you're using it responsibly. i.e. not at night or in dark conditions.


Agreed. Even the police bikers use race tint visors; especially t this time of year with a low sun. Thumbs Up
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MinhDinh
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PostPosted: 10:40 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

dunno about visors but i work in an opticians and for specs it is 65% light transmission factor (ltf) for night time which is a light tint. it differs slightly from colour to colour in terms of the shade. some may seem darker but the machine will measure how much light gets through.

then for sunlight it is 5% ltf which is basically dark as the darkest sunglasses.

so for the people saying 50% on visors it seems very reasonable. that is dark enough to notice but not too dark either. 50% would be too dark for night time driving in terms of spectacles however.

getting done would be difficult because you can lift the visor
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iooi
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PostPosted: 10:41 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bear in mind that a standard clear visor only allows 88% of avaiable light through.
So to get down to 50% does not require much of a tint.
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LimehouseCBF
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PostPosted: 11:44 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

you can pretty much get anything that says "for day use only" usually in the top left of the visor imprinted. then if a copper does show up just point and say this is EU standard. you should carry a clear visor with you ( at night in london when it rains with a dark visor - is probably one of the most uncomfortable riding experience - in winter i wear clear visor all the time, in summer i wear dark - just carry a clear one in your top box or in a visor pouch (although mine snapped coming down the a12 Sad like loosing £35 quid out your back pocket
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Finglonga
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PostPosted: 12:56 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

LimehouseCBF wrote:
you can pretty much get anything that says "for day use only" usually in the top left of the visor imprinted. then if a copper does show up just point and say this is EU standard.


More likely to get done by PC Plod for being cocky and knowing nothing about the visor law then. Doesn't matter if it has the full Ce stamps and legal for road use stamped on it, if it doesn't let in 50% of the light you can get done if PC Plod is having a bad day. Wink
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Wafer_Thin_Ham
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PostPosted: 13:01 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

LimehouseCBF wrote:
you can pretty much get anything that says "for day use only" usually in the top left of the visor imprinted. then if a copper does show up just point and say this is EU standard.


Coppers aren't mugs. Rolling Eyes
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adamcpi50sx08
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PostPosted: 13:08 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

what could they do though if pc plod is having a bad day because i am only 16 on a provisional and do you think it would be a good idea to say i didnt know it was an illegal visor (set of goggles) and they more than likely are illegal because they're from ebay and are the same as wearing quite dark sunglasses but i was riding with them on yesterday and it didnt feel any different to the clear set it didnt restrict my vision or anything and i drove past a police volvo on the way home and they didnt do anything
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MarJay
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PostPosted: 13:29 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kickstart wrote:
Hi

Legal tint allows 50% of the light through. Which is a barely noticeable tint.

If the tint is more than that then it is illegal to use on the road. Doesn't matter how bright the sun is or whether or not you have a clear visor with you as well.

However being illegal and getting done for it a 2 different things. If you are using an illegal visor sensibly then you will probably get away with it.

All the best

Keith


I'm not sure on that Keith. I think a race visor blocks 50% light transmission, whereas a light smoked visor (legal) blocks 18% of light transmission. I'm pretty sure its that way around and not the other way around...
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Wafer_Thin_Ham
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PostPosted: 14:21 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

adamcpi50sx08 wrote:
what could they do though if pc plod is having a bad day because i am only 16 on a provisional and do you think it would be a good idea to say i didnt know it was an illegal visor (set of goggles)


Ignorance is not a defence.

The worst they can do is confiscate the visor(goggles) and give you a £60 fine. As I say if you're using it responsibly you shouldn't get done. ACPO have even offered guidlines to the effect of "If you see a blackie being used on a bright day then do nothing". That is of course only guidance.
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 15:03 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

MarJay wrote:
I'm not sure on that Keith. I think a race visor blocks 50% light transmission, whereas a light smoked visor (legal) blocks 18% of light transmission. I'm pretty sure its that way around and not the other way around...


Nope, 50% light transmission is the legal min (a very light and barely noticeable tint). There was a compaign to get this changed to allow visors which only allowed 18% light transmission (which would be a pretty dark tiny), but the law wasn't changed.

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All the best

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alun111
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PostPosted: 20:20 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Villers wrote:
I thought the road legal percentage for a tint was much lower, maybe something like 35% (unless thats for window tints?).

Quote:
They generally don't sell visors/inserts in the shops that aren't road legal.


Are you just meaning high street? My local bike shops dont seem to sell much beyond bikes and clothing anymore (was in one looking for a fog city insert or similar recently and they had nothing of the sort) but they used to sell iridium and dark tints. From the internet you can pick an illegal visor very easily.


I don't think any bike shops are allowed to sell non road legal visors/inserts.I think the reason they can be had on the net so easily is because alot of the internet based companies are based in jersey/guernsey where there are different laws.
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Skudd
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PostPosted: 21:05 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use very dark tints, almost black, most of the year round in day time. i usually carry a clear one with me incase It goes dark or the weather changes. I have bought very dark tints from shops, but usually get them from shows like the NEC or this weekend the Gmex. They usually cost the same as a clear visor. I've only had one comment from the Police and that was to be sensable in the use of the dark visor.
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iooi
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PostPosted: 21:10 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

A quick Google brought up this at a police forum... Embarassed


Quote:
tinted visor are legal depending upon the gegree of tint, I cant recall what percentage of tint is alowed though.

Those helemets with drop down inner visors are perfectly legal

I don see any problem with motorcyclists wearing tinted visors on bright sunny days its a safety bennefit.


Nice to a a very high standard of spelling and grammer from our boys in blue Shocked Laughing

Take a look at a post by Soren as it has a link to a doc in it.

Quote:
ACPO have produced guidelines for dealing with such offences that we can choose to comply with or ignore, (cos they're only guidelines )

Nice to see common sense prevails Thumbs Up
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adamcpi50sx08
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PostPosted: 22:31 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

so really it should be okay to use when its bright/sunny but not to be used in the dark or in murky conditions where vision could be restricted
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gmanxiii
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PostPosted: 22:44 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pretty sure your goggles wont be classed as a visor anyway as they aren't fixed to the helmet, same as sunglasses really.
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bazza
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PostPosted: 22:51 - 06 Jan 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

iooi wrote:
a very high standard of spelling and grammer from our boys in blue


Indeed.
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