nsw mod laws
hi all this is the letter sent to me by 4x4 action yesterday from glen
attached is the letter that we can use to send to our local member
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A serious message from the Editor.
ACT NOW - FIGHT UNFAIR 4WD MODIFICATION RULES
Fellow 4WD enthusiasts,
Today is the day we must stand up for ourselves as 4WDers.
You have been branded “car hoons” by the NSW Minister for Roads.
I will not accept my fellow 4WDers, readers of 4WD Action magazine, being branded as car hoons simply because we choose to enjoy 4WDing in properly, safely modified 4WDs.
We, as responsible 4WDers have never needed each other’s support as much as we do today. It is time to act now or have our chosen lifestyle unfairly limited by regulations based on false information.
The news
We became aware on Thursday 16th July of a press release issued by the NSW Minister for Roads, Michael Daley describing severe restrictions to suspension lifts. So many of you have publicly displayed your opposition to this on our forums and via email. We share your surprise and disapproval.
Vehicle Standards Information #50 (VSI 50). Please read the attached version of the new regulations here as they will affect every 4WDer, Caravan tourer, and performance car enthusiast.
Here’s what it means in a nutshell.
Any suspension modification up to and including 2 inches of lift, carried out after Saturday 1st August 2009 in NSW must be fully engineered or carry the manufacturer's approval. The total amount you are allowed to lift your 4WD from the ground is 50mm. That is it! This includes any combination of larger diameter tyres, bodylifts and suspension lifts. Any higher lift than this will only be eligible for conditional registration.
For example a 4WD with a 2 inch suspension lift and tyres even 1 inch larger in diameter will not be able to be registered for daily on road use.
here is the letter to your local member please feel free to copy and paste this
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Include here your local MP’s title and mailing address.
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Dear
Changes to Suspension Modification Regulations in NSW
I write to you as a very concerned 4WD owner.
On Thursday 16 July 2009 I received notification of a press release from The Hon Michael Daley, Minister for Roads, regarding new NSW regulations to restrict suspension lift modifications. It would appear that under the guise of attempting to hamper modifications undertaken by 'car hoons', the NSW Government has outlined changes in regulations that will cause havoc for me as a driver on NSW roads with minor, currently legal suspension modifications. Many of the modifications outlined in the press release that will now require engineering approval, are legal in every other state in Australia, making this ‘NSW only’ scenario unworkable. I have spoken with other local companies and with my industry association and I understand that they were not consulted regarding this radical change in policy direction.
Apparently under these tough new rules, car owners will be limited to raising or lowering their suspension by no more than 5 centimetres from August 1 2009, and all modifications would need engineering approval. The attempt at a populist anti hoon measure will not work and will actually affect responsible drivers. It’s an absurd notion that introducing compulsory engineering inspections will any way deter an illegal street racer to desist in their ambition for speed at the cost of safety. In my experience, the hoon community does not legally lower their vehicles – if you were to inspect these vehicles you would note that their preferred method of lowering the vehicle is to cut crudely the suspension springs or coils. This dangerous and illegal backyard practice is conducted outside of industry standards and government regulation. The now regulated NSW compulsory engineering inspection will only apply to those interested in observing the law and will not have an impact on backyard modifications.
Branding all people that modify their vehicles “car hoons” is totally unacceptable and ignores the many legitimate reasons for vehicle modification. The RTA has falsely assumed that raising or lowering suspension is only about the appearance of the vehicle and that only the ‘hoon’ community wants to undertake this modification. Sensible, law abiding drivers concerned about safety will alter the suspension for specific purposes. Raising the suspension height can increase the load bearing capacity. Similarly, some rural drivers require greater clearance to protect the undercarriage from road hazards. Lowering the vehicle can produce better safer handling. There are currently thousands of vehicles on NSW roads with legally modified suspension. In our experience, drivers find that replacement of the suspension improves handling and produces a safer vehicle when cornering on Australian semi-rural roads. NSW roads are now full of imported vehicles just like every other state in Australia. We can no longer assume that these vehicles are in any way appropriate to our roads – we no longer have a car park full of Australian made Commodores and Falcons. Vehicles can invariably be configured inadequately for drivers needs so often responsible owners will seek to have the car modified to improve safety and handling. All of these ordinary, non hoon, responsible drivers will now be penalised for this knee jerk policy announcement based on false assumptions.
In particular I am concerned that the industry was not consulted. The timeline for implementation is less than 2 weeks away and yet we do not have any idea how the RTA intends to make this regulation workable when there are an insufficient number of signatory engineers to certify the hundreds of modifications completed each day. This VSI will cost jobs in NSW in manufacturing and the retail repair and service sector, and I would urge you to make representations to the Minister for Roads regarding the effect of this ill-conceived VSI on local companies and voters in your electorate.
This is an unreasonable decision based on false assumptions and not subject to industry consultation. It’s clear that the Minister has received very poor advice on this issue and I strongly urge you to make representation to him and delay the introduction of this VSI until the RTA has conducted adequate consultation with industry and other stakeholders.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
4WD Action strongly opposes this regulation.
4WD Action is shocked at the rapid implementation of this regulation and very concerned that no one from the 4WD industry, nor engineering signatories were consulted nor made aware of this move until its surprise release last week. This places question marks over the real motives behind the regulation and doesn’t even give the limited number of engineering signatories the time to approve the hundreds of suspension modifications made every week.
The team at 4WD Action understands, abides by and promotes the need to modify 4WDs in accordance with sensible road regulations to ensure the safety of all road users.
However this new regulation is unfair on responsible road users and based on false information.
4WD Action readers are enthusiasts who modify their 4WDs responsibly for a wide variety of reasons. These include, family touring, weekend camping, towing, volunteer rescue and clean up operations, trade work and driver training to name a few.
VSI 50 affects everyone. Not just NSW based 4WDers.
Please don’t think this regulation doesn’t affect you and your lifestyle.
Even if you don’t live in NSW, if this regulation is accepted in NSW, there is a good chance it may be adopted in other states. If this unjust regulation goes unopposed by you and me, it will open the door for many more restrictions to be placed on how we modify our 4WDs. As 4WDers and taxpayers, it is time to show your opposition today! We will not have our rights as 4WDers trodden on anymore by an uninformed minority. We must band together, let your voice be heard now.
This approach to improving road safety is like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. And it won’t show the desired improvement in road safety anyway. The real car hoons aren’t the people getting their suspension modified by professionals or using properly designed components. This is just punishing the responsible, law abiding road users.
The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) in consultation with its members, have conducted extensive and appropriate testing using modified and standard 4WDs. This test utilised professional drivers and the latest in data logging technology as used in top level motorsport to prove that a range of 4WDs with 2 insh suspension lift and 2 inch larger diameter tyres, handled as well and in some cases better than the standard vehicles. This is being presented to relevant road authorities as they attempt to get this approved as a new national standard as in a National Code of Practice (NCOP). I agree that this is a more reasonable outcome.
I propose we adopt the far more sensible NCOP approach which is based on fact and real test data using real 4WDs. That is 2inch suspension lift with a further 1 inch increase in tyre radius making a 3 inch increase in ground clearance before you need to seek engineering approval.