Armageddon... all modified vehicles will be banned!

[RS2]

If you have modified your vehicle at all and live in Europe... This influences you.

Please read...

http://www.the-ace.org.uk/armageddon/

This is not a drill, no joke. Deadly serious.

MG

[poor-boy]

Yep.. All our cars will be scrapped or "Q" plated as they are not standard

[Jenks]

Or lots of otherwise law abiding citizens will be almost criminalised by a law that makes no sense. Thanks europe. On the bright side, at least when we get locked up for rebelling against the pathetic do as I say not as I do rule makers, we'll still get to vote!!! Again, thanks europe. :corey:

[RS2]

I don't remember seeing anything about Q plates in there... Just banning every vehicle that is modified.

The scary thing is that this could happen within weeks. It's already been forwarded to the Payment and General Council.

MG

[poor-boy]

Or lots of otherwise law abiding citizens will be almost criminalised by a law that makes no sense. Thanks europe. On the bright side, at least when we get locked up for rebelling against the pathetic do as I say not as I do rule makers, we'll still get to vote!!! Again, thanks europe. :corey:

Too true..

[poor-boy]

I don't remember seeing anything about Q plates in there... Just banning every vehicle that is modified.

MG

Q plates is the only way at the moment to get away with it...

[Jon441cc]

Is this just to get us all buying new cars to increase car production or something ?

[mike20v]

Might be a good time for me to start up an import business into Australia, I'd imagine they'll be a lot of nice cars going cheap :-)

[Error404]

I find it hard to believe that the EU parliament would steam roller and over-night wipe out a multi-billion euro industry. Maybe I am cynical but it just sounds like scare mongering bull **** to me.

[poor-boy]

I find it hard to believe that the EU parliament would steam roller and over-night wipe out a multi-billion euro industry. Maybe I am cynical but it just sounds like scare mongering bull **** to me.

The EU don't care - no loss to them but instead a massive gain to the motor industry with all these new cardboard cars. All our cars go to scrap and help China bulid more tall buildings.

[dest]

It won't happen. No way on earth could they instantly say thousands of cars were illegal over night

[philj]

From another forum...

"Press release form the European Comission from July 2012:

http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/press/press_releases/2012/pr1235_en.htm

(My italic highlights)

Vice President Siim Kallas responsible for transport said, "If you're driving a car which is not fit to be on the road, you're a danger to yourself and to everyone else in your car – your family, your friends, your business colleagues. What's more, you’re a danger to all the other road users around you. It's not complicated; we don't want these potentially lethal cars on our roads."



The impact on the UK industry will be limited due to the high standards in relation to vehicle inspections already in force



However, the minimum EU rules will mean that UK motorists would be reassured that vehicles from elsewhere in the EU driving on UK roads have undergone stringent and regular roadworthiness tests. Also, UK motorists travelling on EU roads would be at less risk from road accidents caused by unroadworthy cars.



The new proposals aim to save more than 1,200 lives a year and avoid more than 36,000 accidents linked to technical failure.

The proposals will now be examined by members of the European Parliaments and EU ministers.

Key elements of the new proposals include
- Compulsory EU wide testing for scooters and motorbikes. Motorbike and scooter riders, particularly young riders, are the highest risk group of road users.

- Increasing the frequency of periodic roadworthiness tests for old vehicles. Between 5 and 6 years, the number of serious accidents related to technical failure increases dramatically (see graph in MEMO/12/555).

- Increasing the frequency of tests for cars and vans with exceptionally high mileage. This will bring their tests in line with other high mileage vehicles such as taxis, ambulances etc.

- Improving the quality of vehicle tests by setting common minimum standards for deficiencies, equipment and inspectors;

- Making electronic safety components subject to mandatory testing.

- Clamping down on mileage fraud, with registered mileage readings.

In all cases, the proposals set common EU wide minimum standards for vehicle checks, with Member States free to go further if appropriate.


Impact of proposals on the UK

- Minimal cost implications for the UK.



- There will be no changes for private UK motorists in the frequency and testing of cars, motorbikes and scooters, as the UK already operates a higher frequency of testing than that outlined in the proposal. The current UK test period for cars and light commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes is 3-1-1 (ie first test after 3 years, next test after 1 and annually thereafter. Proposed EU minimum is 4-2-1.


- Historic vehicle owners will benefit from the proposed revised definition, 30 years of age. From November 2012, the UK intends to only exempt vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1960, ie 52 years old.

- Farm vehicles up to a designed speed of 40 km/h are out of scope of the proposed measures, however high speed tractors will be included.

- Database requirements will not affect the UK as all test centres are already connected to the central database operated by the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency (VOSA) and vehicle registrations are already kept in a central database operated by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). A Europe-wide interconnection of national databases is subject to phase two after an impact assessment.



- Reassurance for UK motorists that vehicles from elsewhere in the EU driving on UK roads have undergone stringent and regular roadworthiness tests. Also, motorists travelling on EU roads would be at less risk from road accidents caused by unroadworthy cars.




So, this proposal will bring little change to car owners in the UK, but lots of change if you own a car one of the new accession states. The proposal is about raising low standards in some other EU states to the higher level of the UK (and several other states) - not raising our requirements to a new and impossible level."

[dest]

That last paragraph says everything the UK needs to know!
Its basically for new countries joining the EU where there are lots of poor condition cars, so it brings them up to scratch?

[poor-boy]

That last paragraph says everything the UK needs to know!
Its basically for new countries joining the EU where there are lots of poor condition cars, so it brings them up to scratch?

PHEW!! For that. I could just see piles and piles of modded cars being dumped in the crusher and having to drive around in box.

[Dan]

I haven't had chance to fully read the proposed legislation, but a few initial thoughts:

The UK, like every other EU member, has MEPs in the European Parliament. In other words, we have just as much control as to whether this goes through as anyone else. Don't like it? Write to your MEP.

The original article says, "Once forwarded it only takes two readings by EU Parliament and EU Council without objection and it becomes law" -- but that's actually nowhere near as trivial as it sounds. That requires no MEP, including our own, objecting or raising amendments, which is actually highly unlikely. Plenty of bills get put forward to parliaments (both EU and Westminster) and get shot down immediately.

I have no issue with having a strong type approval and inspection system, in fact I actively support clamping down on ********s with dangerous 'mods', but at the same time, I also don't see why people should be inherently penalised for customisation and/or home-made mods, provided they're done to the required standard. Q-Plating counts as penalisation, at least as long as insurance companies shaft us for it.