Many thousands of young men and women spend countless dollars on upgrades and modifications to their vehicles in order to improve how they look or how they perform or even how they sound before parading them at meets and races with other car enthusiasts.
Some of the most popular modifications are also very illegal as they can make it difficult to drive the vehicle safely or can boost the performance of the car so much that it becomes dangerous.
Just to make things even more complicated, different states have different rules about which modifications are allowed, so you always need to check the rules relating to the modifications on the list below before you start any cross-country road trip.
Here are 10 car modifications that are illegal in the United States.
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10. STUDDED TIRES IN GOOD WEATHER
In times of bad weather, studded snow tires can be a life saver. In some areas they are even mandatory (or at the very least strongly recommended) when roads are icy and snowy.
However, some motorists view studded tires as a cosmetic modification, something to make their cars look a little cooler rather than something which could save their lives.
Indeed, when the weather isn’t bad, studded tires can themselves pose a danger as they can easily skid on dry road surfaces.
This is why many states where studded tires are a common sight in winter have to impose rules forbidding their use during warmer months. Washington state between November and March is one example. Other states have banned the use of metal studs in favor of the rubber variety.
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9. LIGHT RIG ON THE ROOF OF A TRUCK
A lot of people who own trucks also like to pretend that they use those trucks for journeys far more demanding than the school run or the morning commute. We’ve all seen truck drivers who have spent as much cash upgrading their pride and joy as any Fast and Furious inspired street racer.
One of the staunch favorites of truck owners is a light rig on the roof in order to provide extra bright illumination for those after dark off-roading trips.
It is worth being aware that some states have restrictions about the use or even the installation of such lighting rigs. In 2017, for example, North Carolina passed a law prohibiting the use of these rigs while driving on state highways, as they can distract and even dazzle other road users.
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8. RADAR DETECTORS
Radar detectors are devices installed in cars which tell the drivers when their speed is being measured by radar guns used by law enforcement; a handy toy if you like driving above the speed limit without the risk of being given one of those pesky traffic citations.
Speed limits are there for a reason, as are the law enforcement officers who are using radar guns to check the speed of vehicles: to keep all road users safe.
That is why these are illegal in all vehicles in Virginia and Washington DC, and are illegal in commercial vehicles in Illinois, New York and New Jersey. While radar detectors are legal in Minnesota and California, you are not allowed to fix them to your windscreen, where they may cause an obstruction while driving.
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7. OBNOXIOUSLY LOUD, THROATY ENGINE ROARS
All vehicles are sold with a muffler on their exhaust system to control noise levels. While it is generally illegal to remove them, you can always add new modifications if you want your car to have one of those obnoxiously loud, throaty engine roars.
Again, different states have different laws when it comes to how loud your exhaust is allowed to be. Texas, for example, has no vehicle noise rules at all, which means that anything goes when it comes to engine noise.
In California, the limit is 95 decibels while Kansas law states that noise from car engines has to be less than 90 decibels when measured from a distance of 50 feet. Come cities, including New York, even have their own local laws on engine noise.
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6. NEON LIGHTS
One of the other popular modifications which makes regular appearances in The Fast the Furious films are the neon lights which boy racers put on the underside of their vehicles. While this may look cool, it doesn’t have any impact on the performance of the vehicle, so why on earth would any state have a problem with a bit of extra funky lighting?
Because that extra funky lighting can be a distraction to yourself and to other drivers, that's why.
Arizona allows neon lights, but only amber or white lights on the side of the car. Kansas doesn’t allow you to use flashing lights. Michigan also has restrictions on neon lights with red and blue lights banned altogether. Maybe that's because other drivers mistake them for the lights on a police car.
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5. EXHAUST PIPES WITH EMISSIONS
The trend these days among most motorists is to drive increasingly environmentally friendly cars. You just have to look at the success of hybrids to see how attitudes to pollution from motoring is changing.
The Environment Protection Agency has rules about what emissions are allowed from the exhaust pipes of engines which still rely on good old fashioned petrol, yet there are mods on the market which can affect the amount and type of emissions which are expelled from your exhaust, and can easily lead you to run afoul of the law.
New cars are all sold with devices which control the emissions from your car but if you want to remove them to change the appearance or performance of your vehicle, then you could be open to prosecution under the Clean Air Act.
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4. VERY LOW SUSPENSION
There are some car owners who want to lower the suspension of their vehicle to improve its appearance and its handling as well as reduce drag so that you can achieve faster speeds. There’s a reason all those cars in The Fast and the Furious look like they’re hugging the tarmac!
There are risks associated with a lower suspension including the fact that your car could end up getting damaged by the first speed bump you drive over, and some states have restrictions on how low vehicle suspensions can be.
Georgia’s two inch restriction also applies to lowered suspensions, while in New Hampshire no part of the vehicle’s bodywork or chassis can be lowered so that it lies below the lowest part of the car’s wheels.
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3. COLOURED LED BULBS IN HEADLIGHTS
Neons are far from the only light-based modification you can make to your car. You can even jazz up your headlamps, tail lights or indicators with LED lights using different colors and effects to make them look more eye-catching. Or can you?
As far as the law is concerned, many of the same restrictions often apply to LED highlights as apply to LED neons on the underside of your car.
Kentucky has become one of the most recent states to pass a law banning the use of colored LED bulbs in headlights, not only because they are distracting to other drivers, but because if they are installed incorrectly it can be difficult to control the beam which can lead to oncoming drivers being dazzled by your disco headlamps.
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2. NITROUS OXIDE SYSTEMS
The Fast and The Furious also brought the existence of nitrous oxide as fuel to a whole new audience, with racers using it to give themselves a much needed boost in street races.
Nitrous Oxide Systems, or NOS as it is referred to by those in the know, would seem to be part and parcel of any street racer’s modifications package, but it’s use is illegal in many parts of the US.
Ohio has some of the strictest laws regarding the use of NOS. When you buy nitrous oxide there, you have to sign a form declaring that you know it is illegal to use it in a car. Sellers are also required to keep names on file of people who have bought the gas for two years after the sale.
1. PLATE FRAMES
Lots of people like to personalize their vehicles in some way so that it reflects their own style and even their own personality. This can range from getting a new paint job in your favorite color to something as simple as slapping on a bumper sticker to let fellow drivers know how proud you are of your kids or how you voted in the last election.
You can even buy decorative frames to put around your license plate. You would do this to reflect your love of Disney or Star Wars, for example.
Who could object to that, right? Most states will tolerate these frames so long as they don’t obscure the state of origin or the number, but North Carolina has banned plate frames altogether for vehicles registered in-state.
Source : www.hotcars.com
