Modified Cars And Garages To Be Regulated By 2015
New Regulation Puts Modified Cars And Garages Under Increased Scrutiny
Imthishan Giado
Big news for people who modify their cars and the garages who work on such vehicles: on Monday, the Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (ESMA) and the Automobile And Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to regulate car modifications and customisation.
What this means is that effect, any and all modifications to your vehicle will have to be authorised by your local licensing authority RTA, otherwise your car will be considered unroadworthy and liable for penalties and potentially, seizure.
I’ve prepared a quick FAQ based on what we know so far:
I have a modified car . Should I be worried? Will my car be impounded now?
If your car currently passes RTA inspection, no. These rules are for now, a draft regulation that will be submitted to the Government in February, and eventually, passed into law. For the moment, there are no plans to apply these regulations to existing vehicles, though it will eventually come into effect.
I own a garage that modifies cars. How will this affect me?
Once the law comes into effect, garages that apply modifications will have to be ‘certified’ in terms of qualifications to ensure the work they are doing is of certain standard. Certification will not be cheap and the RTA wants low-quality garages to be weeded out by these regulations.
Are there modifications which will not be affected by the law?
Here’s a preliminary list of items for which you will not need approval: bumpers, car seats, entertainment systems, exterior lighting (headlamps, tails and fogs), air filters, roof racks and side skirts.
What do I need approval for?
Here’s the bad news. All modifications to the following require RTA approval: engines, exhaust, suspension, forced induction of any kind, hoods, transmissions, bull bars, brakes. Again, not a comprehensive list, and it’s sure to grow.
What is the approval process?
It’s not 100% clear, but essentially your garage will need to seek approval before fitting a part – and be an approved modifier for the part in question – and like a colour change, once it’s approved you can go ahead and do it.
How will I know if a car is modified?
Modified cars will have a special registration card, indicating it bears changes.
What about classic cars? Offroaders? Restomods?
You all fall under the upcoming regulation.
Does my loud exhaust automatically make my car illegal?
Not necessarily, but it might. Your exhaust needs to comply with current emissions laws – so decatting is a big no-no – and fall under a maximum of 95dB for a sound limit.
Hang on, the new Ferrari 458 Speciale is way louder than 95dB!
As long as the car came that way from the factory, it’s fine with the RTA. Adding sound via louder exhausts that breach the limit is not acceptable.
How long before all of this becomes law?
February is the date for the first draft to be submitted to cabinet. After that, figure on a year before everything becomes solidified.
Will all the modified cars be impounded then?
When you go for registration with your modified car, you will receive a list of changes that have to made to certify the car within the following year. If they are not made within 12 months, the car will not be accepted for re-registration.
Updates as we learn more
so how about swapping a non turbo engine to a turbo engine which came fitted with the turbo from the factory and no alteration is done to the engine mounts..
[Imthishan] Salman there are no regulations as yet, but if it doesn’t pass now, it definitely won’t pass under the new regime to come. Caveat emptor.
Basically then, it seems that if you get things done properly and safely by competant people, you should be fine.
For the other 90%, with the cut and welded springs on Hondas and Lexii, the home made weekend warrior bumper kits and the two cars sewn together in Ajman, it is high time they were taken off the roads anyway.
how about the prices? sure not the same price for registering modified car…. if this law comes into effect then legendary Skyline should be allowed on roads along with RHDs
[Imthishan] Syed – Prices will go up. The RTA is looking to restrict the number of garages modifying cars to just a few – that’s the impression I got.
As for the R32-34 Skyline – I feel pretty confident in saying that it will never be legal for UAE usage as a RHD vehicle, or as a converted RHD>LHD vehicle. The few cars that have ‘somehow’ managed to get registered…well, their future is yet to be seen.
I really have been waiting for this…
Seeking approval before fitting the part? That’s total nonsense.. The part should be fitted and then it should be approved.. How can they say how loud the exhaust will be without being fitted? How can they say if the wheel/tire combination will rub to the body without being fitted? How can they say how low the car will be without being fitted?
If lowering needs an approval and bumpers not.. Does that mean the bumper can be 1cm from the floor and it doesn’t matter cause the clearance was not achieved by lowering?
Another nonsense is that it’s OK if the car is loud from the factory.. Noise is noise… Db is Db so it does not matter if it comes from a Ferrari when driving on the roads or from any other car. The should take the loudest Street legal car that comes from the factory and set that as a limit.. If this is the case it’s pretty much the same as now. If it’s a Ferrari or a Lamborghini it can be loud.. If it’s not it can’t..
What I agree with is that garages should be certified… I am totally on their side and and I think it’s a very good thing and will only profit companies like mine which has certified mechanics, the finest equipment and highest possible quality standards. I think it’s also good that they will bring a regulation cause I think nobody should be scared of an impound while driving a properly modified car on jumeirah beach road to cruise just because they re driving a certain vehicle. Right now you can’t even enjoy your modified car where you want or when you want. It’s also about time that those poorly modified cars with cut springs and self-made exhausts will be removed from the streets.
I just hope that the people who will do the certifications will also have the proper knowledge and understanding in order to execute the task they have been given in a correct way.
Last but not least.. I found it a bit ridiculous that they asked us 3500 aed per person to enter the conference. I would have loved to join and also to held a speech since I am in this business, a total petrol head and I know the rules and regulations from Germany.
so i can swap out the engine as of now 😀
Roughly 2 years ago this is exactly what I said should happen to make modifying legal, and safer for everyone. But it seems they’ve turned it into another money scheme. Certification shouldn’t be expensive, it should just be strict
great idea but as previously mentioned it is a money generation scheme.