Car Accessories – Are you breaking the law?

There’s no denying that our cars can soon become filled with miscellaneous items, some which are car related and others that are completely foreign objects. Sat Navs, drinks holders, TV screens, dangly objects from the rear view mirror, MP3 players etc. are all typical objects that can be cause for distraction. Alternatively, you may be a car enthusiast and want to make various modifications, such as tinted windows and additional lighting, either for aesthetical reasons or to improve performance, but these can also potentially avert the driver’s attention from the road.

If in the unfortunate situation you should encounter a car crash, those objects that are loose could fly around your car, causing havoc. If they are heavy enough, they could even cause damage to yourself and other passengers that could be lethal. However, that’s not to say you can’t or shouldn’t modify or personalise your car at all, but you need to make sure you stay fully compliant with current laws and legislations.

If you aren’t 100% sure on what is classed as legal or not when it comes to car accessories and modifications, then we’ve created a quick, handy checklist to make sure you aren’t breaching any laws, and can continue to travel in your car safely.

Lights and reflectors

Car lights are all about being seen, so any tinting or reflectors that will decrease the brightness of the light should not be used. You should never have blue lights, except for emergency vehicles. It is also an offence to have red lights at the front of the vehicle or white lights at the rear, unless reversing.

Number plates

Your number plate should be displayed in a clear position, fully complying with current legislation.  This includes; 2 letters in reference to the office where it was issued, 2 numbers that reveal when it was issued and finally 3 letters chosen at random. This sequence of letters and number should not be altered. The number plate should be made of reflective material with the front plate displaying black characters on a white background and the rear, black characters on a yellow background.

Exhaust system

The removal of an exhaust silencer is illegal, as is any modification to make the vehicle give off a louder noise that the original exhaust.

Exhaust silencers must be maintained regularly to make sure they are working as effectively as possible.

Suspension

Any lowering of the vehicle should only be carried out when the car’s road handling will not be altered in any way. This type of work should only be carried out be a fully qualified engineer.

Wheel and tyres

When fitting larger wheel and tyres you should make sure they are approved by the manufacturer and you should also provide clearance between the tyre and bodywork, as any changes to wheels and tyres can alter a car’s road handling and safety.

Distractions

Car manufacturers go to great lengths in order to make sure you have as clear a view as possible around the whole car, including blind spots. So don’t ruin this by placing large and distracting car decorations, such as fluffy dice right in the middle of your line of vision!

This also includes any technology such as MP3 players, phones, Sat Navs or TV screens. It is illegal for the driver to be exposed to moving images whilst driving, so if you do have these in your car, make sure they are in the back for back seat passengers, out of view of the driver. If you need to text, make a call or change the Sat Nav settings, then pull over to a safe place to do so.

So, make sure you don’t get sucked into multitasking and overt your attention away from the road, or get too carried away with modifying your car to suit your need.

For reliable and affordable priced car parts for either; brakes, exhausts, clutches, wheel and tyres, please get in touch with the team here at Auto Exhausts and Tyres. Serving throughout Lincoln, we offer a comprehensive range of services for your vehicle – simply call us today for more information.