Gardai pulled a driver in Kilkenny for having a specific type of window design that could have impaired their driving.
According to officers, the BMW owner had “heavily tinted” windows, which were beyond the legal limit for an Irish vehicle.
They were asked to remove the tinting on the spot in order to avoid a fine and court appearance, to which they obliged on the roadside.
In a post on Facebook, it was confirmed that: “Gardaí from Unit C Kilkenny intercepted this BMW 5 series with heavily tinted front side windows a few minutes ago.
“This seriously impacts on a driver's ability to see hazards in low light.
“The driver obliged by removing this illegal modification on the spot thus avoiding a court appearance on this occasion.”
According to the Road Safety Authority, a vehicle’s windscreen, and front side windows must have a light transmission or transparency level of at least 65% to pass the test.
Under the Irish road traffic regulations, a driver must always have a view to the front and side of their vehicle to enable them to drive safely.
Visibility is greatly reduced - particularly at night-time or times of low light - with window tinting and can prevent drivers from seeing other road users or pedestrians.
An Garda Síochána currently have the required equipment to test the transparency level of windows at roadside checks.
If a vehicle is found to have excessively tinted windows, both the owner and driver can be charged.
