Starts:
--------------------
DISCLAIMER:
I long wanted to get this off my chest, but never really found the time nor determination to really hammer this out, not till yesterday's ridiculous accusations that seem to hint that our cars will mysteriously wrap trees, mount kerbs, turn turtle or combust for no apparent reason. So here's my take, these are my views and do not represent the views of my company or the automotive publication I work for.
The So-Called Surge...
I highly doubt there is a rise, instead the reason can be attributed to LTA officers being increasingly active on our roads
This increase in presence has led to a surge in the number of fines and summons against car owners for these so-called offenses
The LTA officers now even work nearly 24 hours as I have friends who were booked by them as late as 3-4am in the morning
As such, a few of my close buddies who have rather flashy cars have been fined more than 3 times within a month each
Hence, catching the same number of people repeatedly does not equate to a rise in illegal car modifications
A quick check with the garages and workshops and the general premise is clear, the aftermarket modifications industry is already on the decline
Many have already closed their doors due to a lack of business which again is partially attributed to the sharp spike in LTA enforcement duties and many people giving up their hobby/passion. Those workshops that are still operating see their customers dwindling, or clients that only want to do minor stuff which will not break the law
I won’t rule out totally that vehicle modifications compromise safety as I have seen drivers and garages that retrofit various parts onto their cars that won’t meant to be, only to have the electronics or in some cases the engine blow up in their faces. But then again, these are few and far between and usually apply to those who are driving non-performance vehicles.
On the other hand, for those driving actual performance cars with aftermarket support from big names in the industry, parts that were developed and made specifically for the vehicle tend to be extremely safe, not only do they not compromise safety, but most of these modifications actually increase the vehicle’s safety levels. Stuff such as brake kits, coilovers and strut bars actually aid in keeping the car planted at all times.
Again, it is not modifications that compromise safety, it’s the driver and his/her mindset when they get behind the wheel that affects the safety aspect of a vehicle.
Put a lousy driver in a standard car and his is definitely likely to get into an accident, put a car enthusiast into his favourite ride and most probably he will be driving so carefully to keep his ride safe and sound.
Thus far I’ve been observing that the media at large has been painting that drivers that modify their cars in a very negative light
To the average man/woman if they come across such articles in the papers/online it looks something like this
Modified car = Driven by bad people
Modified car = Illegal racing
Modified car = Dangerous
But this is barely even scraping the surface of our once vibrant car tuning culture, did any of the reporters, journalists, MPs even delve into the scene to really analyze it, study it and most importantly understand the drivers and their need to modify their cars? The answer is no. Instead, they are quickly labelled as undesirable problem makers, with comments being passed off as the actual fact without even proper research done. Hence with this mindset, the authorities and society as a whole become further disengaged from the world of car enthusiasts. Viewing them as criminals and at the same time, driving the scene further underground – never to gain public acceptance.
Loud Exhaust be it approved or not = BAD
Not all owners of modified vehicles have extremely loud exhausts, and not all of them would like to announce to the entire neighbourhood of their impending arrival especially late at night. Many times I, myself have been irritated by the loud blaring of whiny M’sian motorbikes with their hollowed out exhausts in the middle of the night. That is absolutely frustrating, but I don’t see the authorities doing anything at the customs about these bikes. Instead, cars with slightly bassier exhaust notes are being fined. I’m not condoning that everyone should go switch to any aftermarket exhaust system though. But for those who are passionate about cars, hearing a bassy exhaust note is something very, very pleasing.
For myself, whenever I come home, driving through my neighbourhood, I would always be mindful not to rev my vehicle unnecessarily for fear of disturbing the neighbours. To me its basic courtesy, true I may love the bassy sound emitted from my car but that doesn’t mean everyone is going to like it as well. So as drivers, we have to be mindful of our surroundings, especially when its late at night. Ditto to those that purposely rev their cars in the middle of the night when they come home, these drivers are the ones that ought to be dealt with. However, for those driving exotic cars, I guess residents just have to be tolerant.
Impact of more stringent LTA regulations
Those smaller workshops will definitely feel the heat, as it is, the industry has been on a downturn, market trends and a lack of a proper race track in Singapore has hit the garages pretty badly. The implementation of stricter penalties will probably purge the smaller businesses leaving only the big boys to pick up the scraps. The modified car scene might either cease to exist overnight, or go deeper underground, being more secretive and less prominent.
If the government is keen on having a flourishing motorsports scene on our little island, killing the passion of the very people that would probably support grassroots level motorsports is definitely not the way to go.
The rich who can easily afford the fines would continue their hobby of course, but what happens to those caught in between, where I presume a bulk of car enthusiasts are at? Unable to pay the fines, they either convert their cars back to stock or change cars, isn’t this the same as limiting a person’s creativity? If LTA is going to be clamping down on the workshops as well, I shudder to think the day where Singapore only has car servicing and accessory workshops, the people working in the industry will lose their jobs not to mention many business owners will have their rice bowls taken forcibly from them.
What improvements could be made?
LTA should be more transparent in its statements
LTA should do proper research before making comments
LTA should hold a monthly dialogue session with the automotive industry to gain a better understanding
LTA’s top down approach in conveying information to the public just does not cut it
This whole fiasco started simply because it showed how out of touch our authorities are with the aftermarket industry even though they are supposed to be in-charge and managing it
An across the board standardised approval panel for all vehicles be it cars, lorries, vans, buses, bikes from Singapore or Malaysia.
The media to get their facts right for once before painting any negative picture about modified vehicles and their owners
Besides typically reporting from one side, perhaps they should do an expose on the plight of car enthusiasts here in Singapore, that way the public might gain a better understanding and not be too quick to judge
What I deem to be illegal and deserves more LTA intervention
Extremely dark tinting of the lights and windows till the driver’s vision is impaired.
Car curtains which obscure a car’s blind spot
Last words...
This year alone the media has ran a couple of stories all pointing at the rise of illegally modified vehicles and generally stereotyping drivers of such cars as bad eggs and trouble-makers.
The biggest joke is when they interviewed so-called experts who seem to know nuts about the industry, cars or anything for that matter, this is highly apparent when they quip terms such as “outside concession very high”, “cars are being used beyond their operational intent (only to retract the statement and claim that it was in reference to lights)” and the latest, “changing of the exhaust could affect steering and braking”.
I mean seriously, do the authorities think they are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of 5-year old pre-schoolers?
The vast majority of the public that do not dabble in cars might buy it, but not me.
Passing such remarks only reiterates one simple fact. The authorities have not the slightest clue about what they are doing. I sincerely hope before they decide to put up such findings again in future, they should perhaps hire someone with basic knowledge in automobiles before committing to such an embarrassing folly.
As for the LTA enforcement, I hope they would concentrate their efforts on motorists that really do pose a serious danger on our roads instead of discriminating against any modified vehicle. There are tipper trucks and lorries clearly overloaded or exceeding their speed limits and nothing is being done about them, instead the officers are sprawed out on the tarmac like a flattened caterpillar on the road trying to look up the side skirt of a car to check if there is an illegal exhaust valve installed.
Think about it, how many times do you see a modified vehicle get into an accident versus a standard car or commercial vehicle?
I would think that modified cars are but a tiny minority, as drivers of these cars tend to be alot more careful or have at least some basic defensive driving skills
Do not let a few bad eggs and extremely biased news reports cloud your judgement
I personally prefer driving and parking in the company of like-minded drivers, at least I know my car won’t get dinged or dented and these drivers will not suddenly swerve or straddle into your lane without signalling or checking their blind spot.
