Warning for a tinted visor!

So ive just been pulled over and issued a formal warning for having a tinted visor. The cop was a complete asshole, checked everything and he couldnt say anything :smiley:
When he stopped me first thing he told me he will get me done for being insured as 2nd driver when im main driver which he failed as im the only rider on my policy :smiley: and then checked everything even my brake pads and then noticed my tinted visor and started going mad that i will kill someone cause i cant see a thing.
Perhaps he was on his periods :smiley:
Do i need to tell my insurance about the warning or not?

He was being very “OTT”, A tinted visor is not illegal as new lids now come with a sun visor that drops down from the lid, It is however “Illegal” to wear one during hours of Darkness, i had my irridium tinted visor on during my Bike safe course and i was riding with about 6 Coppers!!! not one said a word, I have been stopped numerous times in my Biking “Career” and never have they mentioned my Visor, i do however always carry my clear one in a visor bag if i think i may be out at a time when the daylight starts to fade and i could get cought out with my tinted visor. But that is mainly for my safety as it is very hard to see with one on when it gets darker!

That’s ridiculous! :angry: “wearing a tinted visor is no different to wearing sunglasses” : said the policeman on the bike safe course. Especially on a day like today when it is sunny and there is glare from the wet roads. Obviously just out to get a biker. Having family that are coppers and knowing a few others it really f££ks me off that these guy go round giving all their colleagues a bad name.

Don’t think you have to tell your insurance as it won’t show up on the dvla database.

As far as I can see you haven’t done anything wrong.

I take it you gave your details?

If so, I would perhaps consider persuing the matter as if their was a minor infraction next time, this incident may be taken into account, unfairly so.

Just my 2 pence worth.

Well, being tinted doesn’t make it illegal, no. But the law specifies a maximum amount of tint, and that if it’s tinted enough that it is not allowed to be used at night it must somewhere say so. Most usefully tinted visors are illegally dark, and many don’t say they’re for daytime use only.

Meh, you always get some jobsworths… and always some prat who has a beef against a youngster/ scotterist/ offroader and will try anything to make something stick.

However, wearing a tinted visor is technically illegal (particularly as most tinted visors are over the tint limit); the fact that the law does not provide clarity or common sense, does not make it legal.

On the flipside, to say that because of this you will kill someone is pointless. Coppers like that need a serious slap over the head for being idiotic twerps. He should be trying to educate you and making ridiculous comments like that means you can never take him seriously.

Move on and forget all about it… not sure this is something insurance needs to know as you weren’t convicted on sth but my legal knowledge is limited

That copper sounds like a moron - why did he pull you over in the first place?

Yes, that’s why I said it’s “illegal” to wear one during hours of darkness.
All OEM tinted visors (regardless of level of tint) state “daytime use only” it’s the cheap aftermarket ones that don’t have it on them. I’ve got a light smoke OEM Arai visor that is stamped and I could wear when it is getting dark and a cheap iridium one for the same lid that isn’t stamped and I wouldn’t dream of wearing it when it’s starting to loose light outside as it is impossible to see with it on. I wore it for my photoshoot and as it was pitch black out I couldn’t even see my hands on the handlebars!!

my understanding was that the visor had limits of how dark it can be, but the drop down visor can be whatever you fancy.

the actual visor is coved by the same laws as the windscreen tinting, but most police only enforce it if you are being a tit to them.

Yeah, I’m not arguing with that. It’s just that there’s also a good number for sale that are illegal also in daylight, this one, for example. Tinted visors aren’t even nearly legal by default, since the legal maximum tint isn’t really very useful.

dont worry Arthur, as soon as they spot a young fella on L plate they like to impose their ‘authoritha’ so they think they would scare the **** out of you from the beginning. :smiley:

They should hire you Alba, one glare and Italian Hand gesture from you will scare the **** out of any young Hoonigan.xx

I was pulled over because he said that my brake light told him and when i politley told him “sir i was using engine braking hence why the brake light wasnt on” and thatswhen he turned into a little tithead. My tinted visor aint a cheap one (£40 + £35 for pinlock) and it does say on it daytime use only. What shocked me the most is that he pretty much threatened me that im propably insured as 2nd rider although he was wrong :smiley:
As long as i dont have to tell my insurance im happy :smiley:
I just spoke to a ex copper at high beech tea hut and he pretty much told me that the guy was just being a ****** and wanted to get me done for something and apparently quite a lot of new coppers do that.
By the way there still is nice coppers out there like the ones that helped me after my accident.
Thanks for the advice everyone

I suppose L plates played a massive role in this. I get bullied quite a lot on the road now until i catch up with them and shout at them while they realise how big iam :smiley: good laugh quite often seeing someones face expression changeso quickly

Maybe with built in helmet sun visors, you can flick them off and still be shielded from wind, rain and flies… With a tinted one, that’s it - all or nothing. Try going through the Blackwall Tunnel with a tinted visor and the visibility drops dramatically. From an insurance perspective, if you have an accident and you’re caught with a tinted visor, it won’t go down well in your favour either.

Coming to think about it, I must’ve been stopped for everything else, but never ever actually been done for a tinted visor… I usually just pull out my spare clear one, to show that it’s okay to have a tinted visor sinnce I can switch over.

Maybe if you carry a spare clear one you’ll be okay in the future?

A warning is a warning - if there’s no points on it, it won’t be registered. I got pulled over by a copper who demanded proof of my age to show I was 18 years old. I was a bit affronted by his rudeness and told him I was old enough to be his father, only abortions were preferable. Boy that didn’t go down well for either of us. We spent a mudslinging match with him and his team checking me everything possible for a fault. I regretted being so rude and just wanted to apologise and tell him I was sorry for being so rude, but it was so far gone. He just threw my licence back in my face and stormed off at the end. That’s why I carry a clear visor just in case (as well as the pop-in exhaust cans to deaden the noise lol).

Was it dark? By that I don’t just mean was it night – was it very overcast or otherwise dark such that visibility was lower than normal daytime? Or, was your visor tinted to more than allowed and was this tested with a tintman machine? If not, I’d complain.

By “formal warning” do you mean you received and agreed to a “police caution”? If so, and you agreed to it, they’re very hard to challenge. They’re not a criminal record, but they can affect your future employment prospects. For example, if you ever plan to work with children or vulnerable adults, work in law, health care, pharmacy, senior management in certain sectors, or anywhere that national security is a concern, you’ll have to declare the caution (and if you don’t they can find out). If you honestly don’t think you were doing wrong, I would suggest you seek legal advice.

-simon

Bad luck fella, but sounds like you handled it bob on. :slight_smile:

He probably got a formal warning because the cop was sympathetic (to a small extent) and realised that by endorsing points on his L plate licence, that would be his riding future screwed before his 18th birthday. A formal warning usually means, the warning stays on record for the year (or is it 5 years?), and as long as no offence is committed before the year is out, then the warning/caution expires.

The rest of us are probably too old to get a formal warning - it’s usually just points + fine, or a welcome challenge to attend court, and then receive the points + fine.

Forgot to mention, i always have my clear visor on me, i switch it over even if it rains. I didnt agree to anything he just said i will issue you with a formal warning and thatwas it.

Also the sun was shining and honestly 5 min before i got pulled over i thought so glad that i put on my tinted visor as i hate them flick up things