The Police warned that many car enthusiasts risk to be prosecuted if they have failed to mention or lied to insurers about modifications they have made to their cars. As even some basic changes in some cases means that any insurance cover would be made invalid Birmingham Mail reports.
Modifications that could potentially compromise safety, such as seats, suspensions, steering wheels, brakes and seat belts could make your car uninsurable.
Since the Police Operation "Operation Hercules" have been engaged, the special traffic officers have seized more than 60 modified cars that were not even racing including Nissan GTR, Bmw M3, Mercedes CL, Toyota Supra. And of course it doesn't matter if you drive any of the sport sedans or even just a family sedan that has one or two alterations, you are in.
The traffic officers on Operation Hercules are specifically checking the cars for illegal modifications, as well as prosecuting drivers who are caught racing. The Police ganging racers by stopping cars in hotspot areas to ask for proof that modifications have been disclosed to the auto insurance firms. If the changes to the vehicle have not been declared this this makes your policy invalid and they could also prosecute you for fraud.
If your car has been seized by the police it will be extremely difficult to reclaim it back because, the driver would need a valid insurance to do so. Which basically means that you are double f.
Because of safety issues - in some of the cases car modifications would never be covered even if you apply to do so, or you will have to pay premium car insurance on the already rocket high taxes. Not to mention that young drivers would have to pay even more.
The sneaky police tactics don't stop here, if you are caught racing you will also be charged with driving without insurance, as the insuring companies have agreed to play a long the force and they would never cover anyone who was involved in street racing.
Inspector from the Central Motorway Police Group, said: “We will seize cars we encounter with modifications such as lowered suspensions or exaggerated exhaust systems that have not been declared to insurance companies." this is in respect with motorists, businesses and residents in areas affected.
In an operation this weekend more than twelve cars were impounded including an Audi R8 Supercar.
Angry spectators threw fireworks at the police as seven cars were seized on Saturday.
The media and the police tried to throw even more fuel in the fire as "shocking news" about an incident involving a terrified mother that was "almost" rammed off the road was used to emphasize on "how dangerous modified cars are" and how this somewhat should be a top priority task for the police.
As the story goes :
The mum-of-two, very important information to set the mood, had just left the Star City cinema with her children, again with the children, and was nearly forced to switch lanes when she found herself in the middle of an illegal race. Let it sink - nearly.
What a normal person with some common sense would have understood from this news report was : A mum of two, who was not paying attention to the road, distracted by her two children, panicked and made a dangerous maneuver as two loud cars were passing her by.
Source : Birmingham Mail
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