Being a mod god isn’t always easy but if you keep your ride smart and legal – the police can’t touch you!
There’s nothing worse than getting yourself stopped when you’re cruising along. The thing to remember though is that it’s not illegal to safely mod your ride and in reality it’s usually the modders that look after their motors better than the general public. That said, statistically a modified car is more likely to get a pull from the boys in blue and whether that’s fair or not - the simple thing to do is give them no excuses and keep it as legal as possible. In a world where points don’t mean prizes; here’s our top 5 things to look out for on your motor…
1. Number plates
It’s often the first thing people change but just because your Dad’s messed with the one on his Beemer doesn’t mean you should. The law’s very clear on plates, even private ones – just leave them alone. Don’t change the lettering or spacing and make sure they’re clean and readable at all times. If caught it’s a £1000 fine!
2. Tints
There’s not much better than checking out the local talent when they can’t see you looking and It’s true they have an upside for security too because no one’s going to nick a stereo they don’t know is there. That said the police will take a real dim view if the front windows don’t let at least 70-percent light through. In fact, if they’re too dark you’ll either have to take them off there and then or face a fine and possibly 3-points. Don’t tint your windscreen either – that’s just plain stupid.
3. Tyres
Your top notch performance rubber is designed for better grip and cornering, not always durability. So if you’ve given them some recent stick just be careful - they could be really bald! It’s never a good thing and probably the most common offence out there. If your tyre tread is below 1.6mm; you’ll be looking at 3-points per corner. Yep, that means 4 bald tyres and you’re on an instant ban!
4. Neons
Yeah, there is no denying neons, Leds and extra lighting looks cool but be sensible and only switch on when you’re parked up off the road. They’re not exactly inconspicuous and if there’s one thing guaranteed to get you stopped it’ll be using any of them on the street. That goes for all the colours too but beware - the police will be especially narked if your lights are blue and it is an absolute offence to show either a white light to the rear (other than reversing) or a red light to the front.
5. Noisy Beggers
It may sound like a bit of a cat and mouse game but the best way to avoid the wrath of your local Traffic Sergeant is not to annoy him or the residents in the first place. For a start keep your stereo from blasting out shop windows. A fruity exhaust note is also a top addition to any modified car but if it sounds like the Starship Enterprise be warned – it’s going to get you all kinds of grief!
Don’t forget…
The basics. Stuff like having a brake light or an indicator out is probably what’s going to get you stopped in the first place, nine times out of ten they’ll want to investigate further from there. Make sure your insurance company know about all the mods, believe me the Police will check, and for god sake don’t be a plum and get caught with no Tax disc – that’ll cost you a £1000 fine if you’re lucky and a charge of driving with invalidated, (ie no) insurance if your not. Oh and a £500 fine for not wearing a seat belt isn’t too clever either!