New regulations put the brakes on unlimited modifications for road vehicles
▶ Enthusiasts now need to abide by regulations limiting how much they can tweak their vehicles
Boy racers with heavily modified cars look set to hit the skids as new laws restrict the ability to alter road vehicles.
A Cabinet decision that came into effect on June 1 will prevent car workshops from heavily modifying their cars, including boosting their engine, exhaust system and transmission, among other things.
The modification process was previously unregulated, although police have in the past targeted reckless drivers with souped-up cars. Officials gave examples of a car designed to have 200 horsepower being boosted to 1,000hp – placing it at great risk of accident.
“Modifying vehicles has been happening for years but there was no regulation for the type of equipment or technical work done,” said Al Tareq Al Ameri, chief executive of Yas Marina Circuit. “This needs to be regulated and it has been under discussion by the motoring community for years.”
Not only do the new rules require owners of modified cars to get approval for parts they have altered, they also identify what kind of modified car parts will require approval.
The days of souped-up cars cruising the roads of the UAE, growling with horsepower far greater than the vehicle was designed for, are gone after the Government introduced new rules for modified cars.
Yesterday it was revealed that a Cabinet decision taken last year came into effect on June 1 this year, meaning that customised car enthusiasts now need to abide by a code that limits how much they can play with their pride and joy’s engine, exhaust system and transmission, among other things.
The code will soon be distributed to car workshops across the country and people that already have modified cars will have to apply for a certificate from Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology.
The modification process was previously unregulated, “yet a car could be stopped at any point by the police to say it is illegal”, said Al Tareq Al Ameri, the chief executive of Yas Marina Circuit.
Before, motorists were unsure about what was allowed and what was not, but now there are parameters to adhere to so car enthusiasts can stay on the right side of the law.
The code, which excludes motorcycles, trailers, caravans and tractors, covers high-performance braking systems, bull bars, the vehicle chassis, suspension and engine air distributors, but it excludes bumpers, type of seats used, lights and entertainment systems.
An example of an illegal modification, said Mr Al Ameri, would be to modify a car designed to have 200 horsepower to have 1,000 “without looking at the whole equation”.
“The whole thing needs to be balanced,” he said. “Quality of work is sometimes compromised, or fuel not safe, and you end up with a catastrophe, especially if someone doesn’t know what they are doing.”
The new code also takes environmental safety into account, Mr Al Ameri said..
“Modifying vehicles has been happening for years but there was no regulation for the type of equipment or technical work that happens. This needs to be regulated and it has been under discussion by the motoring community for years.”
To obtain a modification licence, people will need to have their customised vehicles examined by the vehicle inspection modification centre – opened yesterday at Yas Marina Circuit, in co-operation with the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE.
“The centre will inspect the car and issue a paper about the changes, or the declining of the changes, so those results need to go to Esma, who will issue the licence,” Mr Al Ameri said.
The centre is the first of its kind in the UAE and will start testing cars in a few weeks. Mohammed bin Sulayem, president of the ATCUAE and former Emirates rally champion, said he was enthusiastic about the opportunities the new regulations will bring for motorsport enthusiasts.
“I am grateful for this. I had modifications and there was confusion, nobody knew what was allowed and what was not,” he said.
Motorists should not see this as a limitation, he said, but as a chance to express their passion within legal and safety limits.
“It sends the message that you may have been an outlaw before, but now you are in the law,” Mr bin Sulayem said.
“There were contradictions before and today we want to develop drag racing, so now not a single youth has an excuse not to be involved legally, which will provide opportunities to develop car sports.”
People now can start car modification businesses, which he said could be a multimillion-dirham industry.
“Before, if one wanted to open a business for such things, they were reluctant to buy parts they might be banned from selling.
“A lot of people were saying, ‘how can I go and establish a business if there are no rules?’
“This is not only helping car enthusiasts but also helping us have safer roads.”
Quality of work is sometimes compromised and you end up with a catastrophe