There are plenty of things you can do to make your care feel more personalised, but not all of them are legal or safe. Take a look at these 3 illegal modifications.
Lowered Vehicles
Lowering a vehicle by removing leaves from the suspension is considered desirable by some, but it's also considered illegal if lowered by more than one third of its original height.
A lowered body is more likely to scrape on curbs, dips in the road and speed bumps, and if the tyres are subjected to frequent rubbing against wheel arches, blow-outs are also a distinct possibility.
Tinted Windows
A few years ago, tinted windows were all the rage; so much so that if you couldn’t afford to have them professionally tinted, you could buy sheets of tinted adhesive and do it yourself.
Authorities cracked down on this particular modification when it was realized that people were applying tints that were so dark, you could hardly see through them. Illegally tinted windows are not only dangerous for driving, it also made it difficult to see the occupants of the vehicle, making law enforcement more difficult and creating an added danger for police.
The tint must allow for 35% of light to get through on side and rear windows. For windscreen 75% of the light must get through and only the upper 10% of the glass may be tinted.
Tyre Replacements
In some cases, tyre replacements can be illegal if they change the tyre's overall diameter by more than 7% of the overall original diameter, or if the new wheel and tyre combination doesn't comply with your car manufacturer's minimum load carrying capacity specifications.
Either of these instances will require certification.
If you think you may be in breach of any of the above modifications, get in touch with your transport authority, and be sure to alert your insurance company prior to altering your car in any way as it can affect your premium.
