Drivers, who smaak their karre gesak, are warned that traffic cops will be coming down hard on them this festive
season.
City safety boss JP Smith says lowering your car is illegal unless done by the manufacturer or a registered car workshops.
Smith warned motorists who do not have the necessary documents that their dropped cars will be impounded if caught on the road.
According to the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 and the South African National Standards 047 (SANS 047) any modification of, or tampering with a vehicle’s safety design renders the vehicle unroadworthy unless it is done by the manufacturer or a registered body builder.
“If a registered body builder decides to make any alterations, they are required to re-register the vehicle and send it to the South African Police Service for clearance before the alteration is
considered legal,” he says.
The City of Cape Town has been enforcing the SANS 047 since 2009.
“The SANS 047 is stern on specific unroadworthy modification issues such as suspensions and springs, steering columns, vehicle headlights and fog lamps, tinting of windows, mag wheels, exhausts and brakes, removal or tampering of safety belts, etc.
“There is no issue with motor vehicles that have been modified legally and that are in line with National Road Traffic Act No. 93 of 1996,” Smith says.
He says traffic officers can and will suspend or impound an illegal vehicle.
The owner will then have to fix the illegal modifications and re-register it.
WARNING: JP Smith
A petrolkop from Athlone, who drives a Honda Ballade V-Tec, says he learnt about the law the hard way.
According to the man, who asked not to be identified, his lowered car gives him a better drive.
“My car is dropped but my tyres don’t touch the arch and I can still get over a speed bump,” he says.
“I lower my car because then I have better handling, drive, steering and wheel response.
“The costs of lowering can range from R4 000 to R25 000 depending on what you want done.”
“I have been fined R1 500 before and had my licence disc removed. The traffic cop told me it was illegal but couldn’t explain why.
“In order to get my disc back I had to buy and fit new shocks at the fitment centre, then take my car to be re-roadworthied by the same cop who took my licence disc.
“How is this law even possible if they tax us on purchasing the parts, which are sometimes imported, but fine us on the road?
“Then again, we know it just depends on the traffic cop’s mood, if he is in a good mood we are fine, if not, we get fined.”