Auto enthusiasts in some way or the other are tinkering around with their vehicles to make it unique and stand out among the rest. This feeling of standing out from the crowd is what creates the demand for aftermarket products to be fitted on the vehicles. Car owners generally lead the pack with modifications that either change its aesthetic appeal or even improve the performance of the car.
If you plan on doing any modifications to your car, you must be aware that not all modifications are legal. Several modifications are illegal and can land you in a legal soup attracting penalties or even leading to either impounding or seizure of your car.* Standard T&C Apply
This article describes some of these modifications that you must avoid as they are illegal in India.
- Tinted windows
Tinted windows are the most common modification that is made by many buyers to keep their car’s interior safe and the cabin temperature under control. VIPs and VVIPs are the only set of individuals that are authorised to do a modification that reduces the visibility by more than 50%. The latest amendment in the law even stipulates that window shades and sun shades are illegal. *
As per the rule 100 of the Motor Vehicles Act, the windscreen and the rear windows of all cars must have at least 70% visibility while the side-windows must have at least 50% visibility. Any tint darker than the specified percentages can attract hefty fines. *
- Use of sirens and loud horns
Many car owners tend to modify their horns and it is a common menace. But the traffic rules allow the horns to be only of a specified loudness set at 100 decibels. Anything over this limit puts you on the wrong side of the law. Thus, whenever you plan on changing your car’s horn, make sure to avoid air horns and sirens that are generally louder than the specified levels. *
- Modification of exhaust pipes or silencers
Many car enthusiasts tend to modify their exhaust pipes either for a louder exhaust note or for free flow of the exhaust fumes marginally increasing the performance of the car. Standard OEM-fitted exhaust pipes have catalytic converters fitted that control the level of noise as well as filter out the pollutants that are being released into the atmosphere. Rule 120 of the Motor Vehicles Act states that any such modification of exhaust pipes is illegal unless homologated for the Indian market. Thus, avoid illegal modification to not attract penalties. *
- Use of fancy registration plates
Many car owners customise their vehicle registration plates by using either different fonts, or styles. However, the RTOs issue a specific registration plate that must be fitted. These registration plates are one with IND embossed high-security registration plates (HSRP). *
These are some of the modifications that are illegal when customising your car. But there are also a few other modifications like engine and brake upgrades, and other performance enhancing spares that must be reported to the insurer when buying a car insuranceonline or offline. *
Informing the insurance company is essential since it impacts the risk that is underwritten by the insurance company and will impact the premiums at purchase or during car insurance renewal online. Not disclosing can even lead to a rejected claim application in the future. To know how it impacts the premium, you can even make use of a car insurance calculator.*
* Standard T&C Apply
Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms and conditions, please read sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.
