Goto Chockstone Home

  Guide
  Gallery
  Tech Tips
  Articles
  Reviews
  Dictionary
  Links
  Forum
  Search
  About

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

  Shop
Chockstone Photography
Australian Landscape Photography by Michael Boniwell
Australian Landscape Prints





Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

 Page 1 of 3. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 42
Author
New car modification laws...sorry for off topic.
yak
21-Jul-2009
6:21:51 PM
Hi all
Not sure if many have heard about this, but last week the nsw minister for transport released a media report relating to modified vehicles. Yes this is directed at nsw only, but if the nsw gov get away with this then who's stopping these laws being taken up by other states and territory's.
Basically he wants every car on the road to remain at standard heights from the factory, if you raise or lower your vehicle by 50mm you need an engineering certificate, higher or lower than 50mm will be illegal. I'm a keen 4wdriver, and according to the minister I am a 'hoon' my 4wd has a 2inch suspension lift and 31inch tyres, that's pretty standard for someone who 4wd's as a hobby, or even to get to hard to reach places for a climb, but under these rules it will be illegal.
I have included a link to the ministers press release, and a link to a 4wd forum that has some other info and links on it. Also there is an australia wide national code that is being developed to bring all states into line with each other, it is being developed by the aust vehicle certification board in conjunction with other gov bodies and industry and user groups. The nsw minister hasn't consulted with anyone, and if you ring the nrma, they only received info about this on friday the 17th july and have no idea what's going on, yet this law will start from the 1st of august 2009.

link to news release...
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25790506-29277,00.html

link to 4wd site
http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/ftopic180224-0-asc-0.php

link to aust 4wd association
http://www.anfwdc.asn.au/news.php?id=37

If you get the chance to read through the thread on outers (page 5 has a few links) and email one of the politicians or the papers regarding this it would be greatly appreciated. This isn't just going to affect car owners, it will also affect businesses that sell and/or fit aftermarket products.

Thanks
dazza

nmonteith
21-Jul-2009
6:33:42 PM
Don't get me started about NSW and car registration....

My car needs to be inspected by the RTA because it has a new engine in it (installed under warranty by manufacturer) - but I can't get it inspected for 3 weeks - and my rego runs out today. Yay.

..::- Chris -::..
22-Jul-2009
11:39:54 AM
You guys (NSW) have to get a Road worthy every year i've heard ?? Bit of a pain in the ass but i guess you see less (bombs) on the road....

The police got some kid in melbourne last week watched the entire thing go down from my desk window. P plater driving a hotted up commodore which he had removed all the badges including i beleive the one that says SS on it hehehe COuldn't hear what went on but the cop lifted the bonnet, then went to his boot and got a stick with a messuring device, measured the clearence on the car from the road, went back to the engine looked at that, went back to his car wrote a ticket and booked the kid. A bit harsh i thought considering he hadn't actually committed a traffic offence the cop just happened to pull up behind him at the lights... Un-lucky really...

I hate hoons but i do appreciate someone who puts their time and passion into their car doing it up etc.... It's not my hobby or what i would spend my money on but i do admire a nice car...

Incidentally I also have a 4x4 "80 series cruiser"with a lift kit and 31" Mud / All terrians on it... I won't be removing the lift kit or putting street tires on it thats for sure....

IdratherbeclimbingM9
22-Jul-2009
1:21:21 PM
Another heads up about new car laws coming to us...

I have been told by a reputable Driver Training Centre owner/operator that laws are already drafted and under discussion, for introducing mandatory re-certification of air bags in cars when the current certification expires. I gather this is not just NSW.

Apparently air bags have something like a 10 year time limit on original certification. It costs a truckload of money to get them certified/re-certified (possibly more expensive than buying new ones). New ones are not cheap.

Doesn't affect you?
~> try selling a car with out of date airbags.
~> try registering a car with out of date airbags.

Many second hand European manufactured cars (they have had airbags in use much longer), are currently road registered and in use here in Australia but with near/expired airbag certs, ~> try re-registering it ...

I think I read somewhere not long back that airbags are being made mandatory in all new vehicles manufactured after a certain date...

... sometimes I wonder about 'progress'.
patto
22-Jul-2009
3:45:21 PM
Soon we will require a license to wipe our own arse.

I'm sick of nanny state regulation.

D.Lodge
22-Jul-2009
4:55:12 PM
hey Chris he would have been done because he was a P plater and the are not alowed any modifacations too their car and there is a power to weight restriction as well

JamesMc
22-Jul-2009
8:18:50 PM
And an excellent idea too. Why do you think you can engineer a car better than the original manufacturer?

It's discrace that we don't have regular roadworthy AND EMISSION testing in Victoria.

The rest of the developed world checks their cars regularly for safety and environment.

JamesMc
pete_w
22-Jul-2009
9:26:15 PM
F@ck the police/govt.

This sort of thing really annoys me - fair enough if they can produce some statistics that prove that lowered or raised cars account for disproportionate amount of accidents etc, but I would be very surprised if any decision they make has any basis other than getting theirselves re-elected.

I wonder what the world would be like if the goverment had to justify all their decisions properly?

Pete.

PS JamesMc, my new car is lowered (but probably still complies) and goes around corners in a significantly better fashion than it did from the OEM. Our other car is also significantly safer to drive following the fitment of some after market suspension equipment.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
22-Jul-2009
9:44:55 PM
On 22/07/2009 pete_w wrote:
>This sort of thing really annoys me -
(snip).


Different topic similar flavour.
Was listening to Neil Armstrong re 40th anniversary of moon landing and him mentioning that Astronauts in his day accepted the 15% risk that the craft they were riding would explode, other catastrophic outcomes, etc (as has subsequently happened), but considered it acceptable risk in the name of exploration/science; ... and (my words) ... dare I say, adventure?

I am not against 'real' progress, but am dismayed by the do-gooders that try to over-protect me with legislation, OH&S rhubarb, etc-

Brings to mind the words of Ed Hillary ...
"Nothing ventured, nothing win"

Modifying vehicles is not my thing, nor condoning 'hoon' behaviour, but at this stage, I really find it hard to understand the gov legislation/attitude to height modified vehicles, until they can demonstrate the need to 'police' it so heavily. ~> It makes me wonder when they will target adventure sports next...

gremlin
23-Jul-2009
2:32:32 AM
I found some of the road rules in NSW absolutely mind numbingly stupid.

My biggest annoyance was the speed restrictions placed on L/P1/P2 drivers. I saw many scary moments on the highways with open licensed drivers doing stupid things to overtake L platers who couldn't legally do over 80kmph. Certainly didn't look very 'safe' to me...

Things i did like however, zigzag lines before pedestrian crossings, fixed speed cameras in black spots and turn left through red lights after stopping...

Sonic
23-Jul-2009
8:11:20 AM
Most of the road rules up here are stupid. I prefer driving in Victoria.

They just bought in rules that any P1/P2 driver caught speeding, be it 1 or 100 km/h over will get a minimum 4 demerit points. This means a P1 driver loses their licence automatically for one offence as they only have 4 points. The thing is, there was already a mandatory 3 month suspension for any speeding offence for a P1 driver on top of any demerit suspesion (I know this coz I spent 9 months of last year with no licence for that reason!). That means a P1 driver caught doing, lets say, 3 km/h over loses their licence for 6 months. At that stage, I can see that doing more harm than good as the driver is losing valuable experience at a stage of their driving career and then they are less confident when they get it back. Surely driver rehabilitation is a much more appropriate solution if the authorities are serious about road safety.

The RTA is bureaucracy gone mad.

And I own a lowered car. I bought it that way. It will cost me $1680 to get it lifted back up. I wonder if the govt will pay that coz I'm not!

mattjr
23-Jul-2009
1:09:41 PM
On 22/07/2009 pete_w wrote:
>F@ck the police/govt.
>
>This sort of thing really annoys me - fair enough if they can produce
>some statistics that prove that lowered or raised cars account for disproportionate
>amount of accidents etc, but I would be very surprised if any decision
>they make has any basis other than getting theirselves re-elected.
>
>I wonder what the world would be like if the goverment had to justify
>all their decisions properly?
>
>Pete.
>
>PS JamesMc, my new car is lowered (but probably still complies) and goes
>around corners in a significantly better fashion than it did from the OEM.
> Our other car is also significantly safer to drive following the fitment
>of some after market suspension equipment.

Sorry Mate, I'm with James when it comes to modifying vehicles. Unless you are a qualified and experienced engineer in the field, then don't mess with factory outfit. What the government is trying to do is make it compulsory to have any modifications checked by an engineer to get the o.k. Makes absolute sense, if you ain't no engineer and you can't afford to get your mods checked by an engineer then you shouldn't have the right to drive your 'improved' vehicle on public roads.
P.S: I HATE PIMPED BOY RACER MOBILES AND THEIR PIMPLY DRIVERS.. BRING ON THE EXPANDING FOAM UP THE OVERSIZED EXHAUSTPIPES !!!!

JimboV10
23-Jul-2009
2:18:18 PM
Just spend more money in the first place and buy a decent euro car, versus spending less money on Jap crap and then spending what you could have spent in the first place on stupid "upgrades and pimping"

Pat
23-Jul-2009
2:19:09 PM
Driving is a privilege. If you want to keep it, sit on the limit not 3 km over it.

evanbb
23-Jul-2009
2:48:20 PM
On 22/07/2009 JamesMc wrote:
>And an excellent idea too. Why do you think you can engineer a car better
>than the original manufacturer?

I know for a fact I can engineer a car better than a 1994 camry for a start. It'd be hard not to frankly.

This idea is a little coarse. Cars are factory engineered to the very middle of the road in the balance between handling and comfort. They only do it to sell more cars, not improve safety. As stated by others, there are huge handling improvements to be had, and better handling means higher safety, by fiddling with the factory settings. The other point is cost, particularly in brakes and suspension. They definitely do not put the best parts in out of the factory; why wouldn't you want to improve those?

I really don't understand the minimum height restrictions. Maximum, yes, there's a good chance it'll flip over, but surely the only person inconvenienced by a lowered car is the driver? Properly engineered of course; not by cutting springs with a hack saw.

evanbb
23-Jul-2009
2:49:45 PM
On 22/07/2009 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>Modifying vehicles is not my thing...


Your bike 100% standard is it Rod?
;)

evanbb
23-Jul-2009
2:56:22 PM
On 23/07/2009 Pat wrote:
>Driving is a privilege. If you want to keep it, sit on the limit not 3
>km over it.

I thoroughly disagree with this sentiment. The focus on speed is because of one reason only; it can easily be measured. You know the old adage 'you can only manage what you can measure?' It applies here, to BMI (body mass index), blood pressure and many other aspects of life. They're an extremely poor indicator of what's actually going on, but you can measure it easily, so hey why not bring some laws in?

I also don't think that spending your time concentrating on not breaking the speed limit makes you a safer driver. It would be hard to measure, (see above) but 'intent' is the important thing with speeding. In some cases, I would fully support safe breaking of the speed limit. For example, overtaking trucks on the highway, even when there's an OT lane. What's worse; taking 30s to overtake a truck that's doing 2kph less than you, or overtaking quickly when it's safe?

For speed limits to work, there needs to be a way for the driver to know they're over the limit of the area they're in, without constantly checking the speedo. I've heard of trials of audio systems and think they've got terrific merit.

ajfclark
23-Jul-2009
3:00:08 PM
On 23/07/2009 evanbb wrote:
>but surely the only person inconvenienced by a lowered car is the driver?

And the people that get stuck behind them as the weave all over the road trying not to bottom out over the speed bumps...
Paul
23-Jul-2009
3:50:44 PM
The problem is that some people who choose to modify things may think that they know more than they actually do, thus being unaware of an unsafe situation which they may have created.

jkane
23-Jul-2009
4:02:11 PM
On 23/07/2009 evanbb wrote:
>On 23/07/2009 Pat wrote:
>>Driving is a privilege. If you want to keep it, sit on the limit not
>3
>>km over it.
>
>I thoroughly disagree with this sentiment. The focus on speed is because
>of one reason only; it can easily be measured.

Have to agree with you there. Speeding in itself is not necessarily dangerous. It's all about the situation and ability of the driver to determine when they should slow down for hazards - which comes down a lot of the time to experience.

I hate the fact that I can get pinged for doing 110 on an empty freeway but a person won't get booked for flying round a blind bend or over the brow of the hill at 99Kph when they clearly couldn't stop in the distance that they can see.

 Page 1 of 3. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 42
There are 42 messages in this topic.

 

Home | Guide | Gallery | Tech Tips | Articles | Reviews | Dictionary | Forum | Links | About | Search
Chockstone Photography | Landscape Photography Australia | Australian Landscape Photography | Landscape Photos Australia

Please read the full disclaimer before using any information contained on these pages.



Australian Panoramic | Australian Coast | Australian Mountains | Australian Countryside | Australian Waterfalls | Australian Lakes | Australian Cities | Australian Macro | Australian Wildlife
Landscape Photo | Landscape Photography | Landscape Photography Australia | Fine Art Photography | Wilderness Photography | Nature Photo | Australian Landscape Photo | Stock Photography Australia | Landscape Photos | Panoramic Photos | Panoramic Photography Australia | Australian Landscape Photography | High Country Mountain Huts | Mothers Day Gifts | Gifts for Mothers Day | Mothers Day Gift Ideas | Ideas for Mothers Day | Wedding Gift Ideas | Christmas Gift Ideas | Fathers Day Gifts | Gifts for Fathers Day | Fathers Day Gift Ideas | Ideas for Fathers Day | Landscape Prints | Landscape Poster | Limited Edition Prints | Panoramic Photo | Buy Posters | Poster Prints