I think places that tint your windows professionally shoul provide you with a certificate of what grade they are as I wouldn't have had it done otherwise.

Most places, that i'm aware of, will make sure you fully know it's not legal, before they go ahead and install tints on the front.

Any time i've done this, i've been made aware.

And if you are pulled, Remain polite!

It's all about passing the attitude test!

Your opening gambit determines the course and final outcome of the stop!

Voice of experience speaking.

And if your speed is ever commented on, Reply with 'Yes officer, I was making progress!' But never give a figure!

Cheers all for the feedback the tints on the front were just over (only let 65% light through) so I was happy enough to take them off, the car it self is completely standard except the tints which were done for my 1 and 3 year old kids ( so I dont have to have them ugly cat screen shades on). I'll get some picks up as soon a I can, I'm just worried as it seems this car attracts far to much police attention even though I'm driving it safe and 80% of the time I have my family in it.

The main thing that gets me wound up is the fact that last night there were 3 larger and louder cars racing alon the coast and obviously they hadn't been stopped.

I ha to laugh at how many times they asked if I owned the car but never asked for any ID, seems strange to me and I would have preferred to be grilled if they suspected me of stealing the veichal.

I think places that tint your windows professionally shoul provide you with a certificate of what grade they are as I wouldn't have had it done otherwise.

If you’re driving down South Shields or Whitley Bay coast of an evening then you may well get pulled, in fact if you’re as young as your profile suggests (15) or look that young I’m not surprised. I'm not sure how old you actually are to remember but a few years ago there was an influx of young hooligan types both in Shields and Whitley Bay and the plod set some kind of “operation” up. It was linked to the CCTV operators and they informed the rozz of anything untoward. St Mary’s lighthouse car park and the car park near the Little Heaven were two main culprits.

And if your speed is ever commented on, Reply with 'Yes officer, I was making progress!' But never give a figure!

Or you could do the very cocky:

"I do not understand the significance of your words and I would like to exercise my legal right to refer to PACE, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act"

I'm sure I saw years ago that some dude on a forum used that with a all "high and mighty" type traffic cop which just ended up letting him go and leaving him alone...

Or you could do the very cocky:

"I do not understand the significance of your words and I would like to exercise my legal right to refer to PACE, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act"

I'm sure I saw years ago that some dude on a forum used that with a all "high and mighty" type traffic cop which just ended up letting him go and leaving him alone...

Somehow think this may get a bad reaction!

Wow, that is a lot of times to be stopped.

I drive a lot of miles per year, I generally take it easy around town and country roads, well within the limit. On motorways I tend to cruise above the speed limit but only to a point when safe to do so. I often help some of my friends who deal in expensive cars and end drive some cars that should get me pulled over.

Having said all this, I think I've been pulled 3 times in 7 years. Once for speeding on the M23 (was let off), once for speeding badly on the M20 (god knows why he let me off), and thirdly went through a red light as I thought it was broken after sitting there for 3 minutes, he said people often go through it on red at this time of the morning, made me sit in his unmarked Octavia and watch it go to green and then let me go.

If you're getting pulled over as often as you say you are there must be underlying reason, perhaps someone reported you for an offence that they are trying to get you?

Or you could do the very cocky:

"I do not understand the significance of your words and I would like to exercise my legal right to refer to PACE, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act"

I'm sure I saw years ago that some dude on a forum used that with a all "high and mighty" type traffic cop which just ended up letting him go and leaving him alone...

Ok then how are you going to refer to pace and what would your reply be once you have refered to it?

I've only ever been pulled once, aparantly I cut up a meat wagon, I didn't even see, so was never sure if actually did or if he was just giving that as reason for pulling me.

Oh and I got pulled in a road block type thing for drink driving at Xmas last year (clear!!)

Can't really help you here

So far......since I passed and got my first car way back in '94........only ever got stopped by the police once!!!...The first (or was it the second??) New Year after I got my car...had picked up some friends at midnight and were driving through town.....the police (foot patrol) stood in the middle of the road....I #### myself (what have I done???? :S ) and wind the window down...

OFFICER; "you've got your front foglights on".....

ME; "oh ..have I ?....looks down at switch..."oh bugger so I have....sorry about that" and switches them off.

OFFICER; " looks like you knocked it on with the heated screen"

ME; "Yes I must have...must be a bit more carefull about that" (had in fact put them on as "playing around with a mates car..who has the brightest light in a carpark.. ....just forgot to switch them off....and the switch is next to the rear heated screen which was also on)

OFFICER; (who is leaning in and "sniffing the air/ my breath" for drink...thing is I don't D & D!!) "do you have your licence"

ME: "yes here it is" (always carry it when in a car)

OFFICER; looks at it and hands it back "have a good safe New Year"

ME; "Thank you"

Having said that...if you get an officer who has had a bad day......you might be in for the "book"...just learn to read the situation.......and dark tints forward of the "B" pillar have been a no no for years now!!!

Oddly enough I've been stopped more in understated cars than in obviously modified ones, mostly random checks or blockades.

Got chased in my Octy VRS one night by one of the local marked 2.0TDIs who was going the other way as it "looked like I was speeding in a NSL", his reasoning after stopping me was that he'd had to do over 60mph to catch up with me... bearing in mind he was going in the opposite direction when he first saw me and had to turn around ! I didn't argue though (otherwise they really do throw the book at you) and just got a warning to be careful driving late at night.

In certain places just driving a car late at night is enough for them to pull you over just to see what you're up to. Loud exhausts/tints etc don't help things but a lot of the time it's down to the area you live in, they may have a lot of problems with boy racers so anything that looks slightly modified gets police attention.

I'd have told them to do one tbh... you could have legitimately claimed that you are being harassed by the police, all their fancy computerised systems means they don't even need to bother stopping you nowadays to ask if you are insured..

An appropriate response....if you're 15 years old. Honestly, if you've been stopped why make matters worse?

Ok then how are you going to refer to pace and what would your reply be once you have refered to it?

I have no idea. I was quoting someone else and trying to be funny. Hence the speech marks

Since starting work on the railway 4 years ago, I've been stopped more times than I had in the last 20 years, probably because of travelling at stupid times of the day/night. In general it's a quick "Good Morning/Evening" and a check on where I'm going to. Yes there is the obvious sniff for alcohol, but a Network Rail hi-vis seems to point them in the right direction.

Only once have I had a young "co ck" try to be clever. Got stopped in a village at around 0200 and he wanted to check around my old Freelander. Not a problem as I keep all my cars legal, however he took distinct umbridge at my rear wheel cover, which had a chevron design sticker on it, with reflective yellow and hi-vis orange stipes and 4x4 Response writing in red. I was told to remove it as it was illegal! Now those that know about 4x4 Response will know that we work very closely with many Bodies, one of which is the Police, and any insignia we use has to be legal and correct, and has been "passed" as such. Upon refusing to remove said cover he threatened to arrest me, but couldn't give me a reason, other than "it's illegal!!" He then took my details in his note book, so I asked him for his, at which he became very defensive, but when I pointed out that Insp ***** at the local Police Station (our local 4x4 Liasion Officer) would be very interested in his attitude he changed his tune. All the time this conversation was going on a WPC I knew was stood in the background shaking her head. Methinks young PC might have been getting a lesson in attitude later from said WPC.

I found out later that he had stopped 2 others in our Group for exactly the same thing. Perhaps he didn't like 4x4's?

Mind you, not long after I bought the Yeti, I was stopped at a set of traffic lights and there was a knock on the window, and one of the local traffic officers said he noticed I'd bought a new car!

It is quite useful having the 4x4 Response sticker on it sometimes.

I've only been tugged 4 times in almost 15 years of driving. 3 in my old Metro in the space of 18 months around '97-'98 and all for valid reasons (forgot to put lights on, Xmas eve with high winds also got breathalised, and headlight bulb out) third was the only cocky copper I've had though and he couldn't find anything but the blown bulb. All 3 had producers for.

The last one was definitely the best. About 5-6 years ago in my black Vectra SRi mildly modified, had my fogs on, as people had pulled out on me 3 times on my 10 mile journey and it was only just starting to get dark so I thought I'll have as much light as possible on the front of me car. Was an RTA at a roundabout and a copper on foot just clocked me with them on before I turned them off. Stopped me and said

"Pull over round the corner so I can give you a ticket for your fogs"

I obliged ready for the fine, he met me in the pub car park round the corner.

Him "Go on then, why did you have your foglights on?"

Me "Cos I'm a ****"

Him "That's the best answer I've ever been given "

He had a quick look round me car which had been polished earlier that day

"Its a nice car, you've obviously spent a lot of money on it, I'm sure you don't want to spending an extra £30 every time you've got your fogs on for improper use of lighting?"

Me "Not really mate, no"

Him "Well, because of your response and the fact its St Georges Day and I'm feeling patriotic, I'll let you off, but if I see you with them on again I WILL give you a ticket for them"

Me "Cheers mate, won't do it again, thanks very much"

Not even a producer was given. Needless to say I have never used my fogs since, apart from in fog of course.

Matt

I've been stopped a few times, one night at 8pm on a summers evening on trade plates in London, the last time leaving work at 11pm. On that last stop I knew I was going to get pulled as I saw the police car do a U turn to follow me, he put the blue lights on just before a bus stop so I was in a nice safe layby at the side of the road. The policeman was extremely polite and very professional, asked me a few questions, the answers for which tallied with what he knew from the vehicle check and he asked if I'd been drinking, to which I said no and that was it, he said goodnight and remarked that he liked my car. That was it, I felt a bit guilty for wasting his time.

Can't see how having tinted front windows can invalidate a MOT, they're not even testable.

Been driving over 5 years and haven't been pulled once *touches wood*. Had a few scares but It's never happened. The car is always legal so I've got nothing to worry about.

Most places, that i'm aware of, will make sure you fully know it's not legal, before they go ahead and install tints on the front.Any time i've done this, i've been made aware.

Obv it's easy money for these places.

It's fairly simple as I used to have a marker on my Clio, really not proud of this by the way, I have taken advance driving lessons and a member of the IAM, and have changed the way i drive for good, but when i was 18 I used to drive like a *****, basically the police have a book/database of cars/drivers that have been reported or seen driving in a dangerous manner, I used to get pulled for any slight driving error ie indicating is a famous one, and they will look for any reason to take the car off the road, at the time I of course I was very agaisnt it felt victimised, but now I look back, I should of had my license taken away, I'm not saying you have or havent, but it sounds like you have been reported many a time for dangerous or unsafe driving,

Can't see how having tinted front windows can invalidate a MOT, they're not even testable.

Quite right, not an mot testable item, however it is covered In the constructions and use regs.. I'll have to dig out the book to look it up

Been driving over 5 years and haven't been pulled once *touches wood*. Had a few scares but It's never happened. The car is always legal so I've got nothing to worry about.

Been driving over 15yr and never been pulled even as a 17yr old driving my old man's company 3 series. Other than the VRS all my cars have been quite ordinary and plod don't seem to notice the VRS which I like.

My mate in his ST was a different story.

Certain cars have reputations and if yours looks like you've driven it through Halfords backwards they're going to want to take a look.

Certain cars have reputations and if yours looks like you've driven it through Halfords backwards they're going to want to take a look.

Brilliant!!

Are you seeing a police man's daughter?

I got stopped 3 or 4 times a week for 3 months just as i started going out with swmbo, still think her dad had something to do about it.......... :wonder:

I've been pulled over a few times, just make sure that you're extremely polite and i've never had any problems.

I even once told a copper off for pulling me over as my car was having problems starting. :lol: I said as long as you're hanging around so i can use your car for a jump then thats fine! He took it well and actually laughed.

They are all people after all.

In over 20 year's of driving I've only been stopped once. I was in my then 1 year old Audi A2 which was very, very scarce and VERY weird looking at the time. I was driving home and saw a panda police car up ahead (I think it was a Fiesta), passed him sticking to 40 as everyone normally does on this road. I presumed he did 30 in a 40 just like the highway guys do 60 in a 70. Half a mile later he pulled me over... Oops. Asked me if I knew the speed limit on that road. As he said it I knew! Doh. I said "yes with the lamp posts being where they are it must be 30mph". "You know how much you were doing?" "Dead on 40" I said "as I thought it was the limit". He smiled and asked about the car and its fuel consumption and let me go. Phew... Having an under the radar car helps of course. The Yeti is pretty much the same especially in grey.

Certain cars have reputations and if yours looks like you've driven it through Halfords backwards they're going to want to take a look.

ANoer class description in the same vein I heard was "It looks like you covered it in superglue and ramraided an accessory shop!"