Modified cars - what you need to know
Cars are sometimes modified to improve performance or style. If you're considering modifying your car or you have bought a modified car, you can find information below on modifications including in-car entertainment, lights or reflectors, suspension and brakes.
Safety first
Staying safe and legal is extremely important when modifying your car. It is essential to remember that some modifications can make your vehicle unsafe for you, your passengers and other road users. It could also put you on the wrong side of the law and perhaps your insurance company. Remember that you are responsible for making sure that your vehicle is legal and safe to use on the road at all times, regardless of who carried out any modifications.
In-car entertainment
Over the last few years there has been a huge increase in the amount of in-car entertainment devices that have become available for the motorist.
As the driver, your primary responsibility is to stay focused on the road and avoid anything that could distract you.
- do not let in-car entertainment divert your attention.
- avoid watching screens visible in the rear-view mirror.
- do not search through devices such as MP3 players while driving.
- moving images visible to the driver are illegal while driving.
It is illegal to drive a vehicle while using a hand-held mobile phone or a similar device.
More information can be found at the link below:
Lights or reflectors
Headlamps must show a largely white or yellow light. Rear position lamps must show a steady red light to the rear only. Tinting of rear reflectors which will reduce efficiency is not permitted.
Replacement bulbs must be road legal, especially in headlamps. Many aftermarket LED bulbs are not road legal and can cause dazzle and glare. This can be dangerous to other road users as it impairs their vision.
Wheels and tyres
Changes to wheels and tyres can significantly alter your car's behaviour on the road.
It is import to make sure that they:
- are approved by the vehicle manufacturer
- give adequate clearance between tyre and bodywork
Stretched or “euro look” tyres should only be installed where this can be done safely in line with industry guidance.
Suspension
Modifications to the suspension including the fitment of stiffer springs and lowering kits, should only be done where the car's road handling will not be compromised. This work should only be carried out by a proficient person.
Brakes
Modifications to your car's brakes must at all times be carried out by a proficient person. Before parting with your money, seek advice from independent suppliers and the vehicle manufacturer to make sure that the brakes you intend fitting are suitable, and won't adversely affect handling or electronic safety systems.
Tinted windows
It is illegal to have a windscreen or windows either side of the driver tinted darker than legally allowed . For most cars, that’s 75% for the windscreen and 70% for the windows in the front doors. Added sun strips must not encroach on the area swept by the original equipment wipers.
Drivers view
It is illegal to have anything in a vehicle which affects the drivers view.
- opaque film including decals should not be installed on the windscreen where they interfere the drivers view in any way
- be careful not to have any bulky objects hanging from the rear-view mirror
- take care with positioning of dash cams so they don’t encroach on the drivers view
- sat navs and mobile phones must not be mounted to the windscreen.
Spoilers
Spoilers must not have any sharp edges or hinder your driving or vision and must be securely fitted to the bodywork so as not to detach whilst driving, causing danger or injury to other road users.
Number plates
Number plates must:
- meet with current legislation
- be displayed in a prominent position
- be readable by infrared cameras
- not be misleading or obscured
Exhaust system
All exhaust silencers must be maintained in a good and efficient working order. You will be breaking the law if you remove a silencer or make any change that would make that vehicle emit a noise louder than the original exhaust before it was modified.
Exhaust emissions
Emission control equipment originally fitted by the manufacturer must be maintained in good working order, and not removed, bypassed or tampered with.
Examples of improper modifications include:
- physically removing equipment such as catalytic converter or diesel particulate filters (DPF) or associated sensors,
- bypassing Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) or Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR, AdBlue) systems,
- changing control mapping to increase smoke, noise, emissions, or to bypass emissions control systems.
Information on vehicle smoke emissions, enforcement checks and how a metered diesel smoke test is conducted can be found at link below.
To read more about car modifications you can download a copy of the 'Modified Cars - what you need to know' leaflet at the link below or you can contact DVA directly.