Petition to the government to not implement offences for modifying vehicles

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You may or may not be aware of the governments intention to make it unlawful to modify new and existing vehicles. You can read about it here.

Specifically, we would look to create:
  • a specific offence for supplying, installing and/or advertising, a ‘tampering product’ for a vehicle or NRMM – this would apply where a principal effect of the product is to bypass, defeat, reduce the effectiveness of or render inoperative a system, part or component (the product may be a physical part or component, hardware and/or software)
  • a specific offence for removing, reducing the effectiveness of, or rendering inoperative a system, part or component for a vehicle/NRMM and advertising such services
  • a specific offence for allowing for use or providing a vehicle or NRMM that has had the operations described in the previous 2 points performed on it
  • a new power to require economic operators to provide information, where a service/product they have supplied amounts to or enables ‘tampering’ with a vehicle or NRMM – this would apply in any of the above senses and include requirements to provide relevant information on the quantities of products sold or modified

There is a petition to get the subject raised in parliament, which has already achieved the required 100,000 signatures but the more signatures the more point will be driven home. The petition can be found here.
 
Associate
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I may be a bit cynical but I think it's more about the ever-growing adoption of electric cars and any future method of taxation and tracking. You'd be a fool to think they'll stop there.

The article does say:
We do not intend our proposals to:
  • prevent legitimate motorsport activities
  • prevent restoration, repairs or legitimate improvements to vehicles, such as classic cars or motorbikes
  • negatively impact businesses involved in these activities
But would you trust the government not to renege on these "intentions"?
 
Man of Honour
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Then make a specific law targeting that,

You mean like...

we would look to create:
  • a specific offence
not a generic catch-all that in effect means any modification you make to a car could be deemed illegal.

It doesn't look to be that at all. This is nothing to do with making it offence to spoil a nice car with crap wheels and fake carbon fibre stick on tat - it's about preventing changes that have a negative impact on others - ie, clocking perhaps or numberplates that are 'not for road use' or removal of important emissions equipment like the DPF.
 
Sgarrista
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You mean like...

It doesn't look to be that at all. This is nothing to do with making it offence to spoil a nice car with crap wheels and fake carbon fibre stick on tat - it's about preventing changes that have a negative impact on others - ie, clocking perhaps or numberplates that are 'not for road use' or removal of important emissions equipment like the DPF.


Nice try. Except the specific offense they are suggesting is a generic catch all offense.


"for supplying, installing and/or advertising, a ‘tampering product’ for a vehicle or NRMM – this would apply where a principal effect of the product is to bypass, defeat, reduce the effectiveness of or render inoperative a system, part or component (the product may be a physical part or component, hardware and/or software)"

Easy example:

You install Ecutek upgrade to a Nissan GTR. Congratulations thats just reduced the on board traction control intervention level and youve now committed said offense.

Despite the Ecutek alterations actually making the care safer, more stable and better to drive.
 
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Additionally to what @kindai said,

"a new power to require economic operators to provide information, where a service/product they have supplied amounts to or enables ‘tampering’ with a vehicle or NRMM – this would apply in any of the above senses and include requirements to provide relevant information on the quantities of products sold or modified"

So they want the purchasers details as well. Now why would they want that?
 
Soldato
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Great news if the government actually put this through. Nothing worse than a modded car that’s making a racket and pumping out petrol fumes where it’s been remapped and had its exhaust fiddled with. Not to mention how many of these modifications aren’t declared, leading to insurance and safety issues.
 
Soldato
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is this with a view to driverless cars? To stop people hacking the built-in nav and safety decision making? E.g don't slow for amber, tailgate a bit nearer, do +5mph over the limit hacks etc?

If so they should just make the law more specific.
 
Soldato
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It's interesting of the whole proposed legislation you've only picked on the tackling tampering part.

Also you missed the key intro:
We will create new offences for tampering with a system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on a road. This will enable us to address existing gaps in the legislation, ensuring cleaner and safer vehicles. We will also create new offences for tampering with non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) and for advertising ‘tampering’ services or products.

This will strengthen our ability to enforce compliance in this area.

We are aware that the Law Commissions in both their first and third consultations on automated vehicles have considered tampering. We await their final recommendations and would welcome views on our proposals, as follows.

Based on the above, I don't see an issue with it being an offence to tamper with "system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on a road".
 
Soldato
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sounds like a great idea if it will prevent people temporarily installing ecu re-maps onto pcp'd cars which are then sold on to some poor 2nd hand purchaser, with a stressed engine and drivetrain.

AFAIK manufacturers themselves do also have an obligation to make systems more tamper proof too
 
Soldato
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Happy for this to go ahead if it stops idiots with pop and bang remaps and exhaust modifications that serve no purpose other than to create ridiculous noise pollution in urban areas and to make themselves look stupid.
 
Man of Honour
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Happy for this to go ahead if it stops idiots with pop and bang remaps and exhaust modifications that serve no purpose other than to create ridiculous noise pollution in urban areas and to make themselves look stupid.
There you go again trying to take away more pops n bangs :(
 
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