Government clarifies anti-tampering laws | Will NOT be retrospective

A Parliamentary debate took place earlier this week to discuss the implementation of vehicle anti-tampering laws. The big takeaway from the debate was that for now at least, the implementation of the rules will not be retrospective.

The proposed rules have been big news in recent months and years, with both two and four-wheeled enthusiasts pointing to issues with the laws – particularly for classic and vintage machines. It also caused much concern on both sides of the table as the wording of the draft document seemed to indicate that any and all modifications could be outlawed.

That clarified, and instead, the rules are aimed at safety and emissions systems and those which govern vehicles' autonomous driving and control functions. It was also confirmed that changes will not be retrospective (meaning you can’t inherit an illegal vehicle), and that classic and heritage vehicles will be protected from the rules.

The consultation was open until last week and was responded to by nearly 8,000 people, and more than 100,000 people responded to the petition to call for the rules to be scrapped. Those people who responded to the petition are all responsible for helping to get the message across, as it’s those magic 100k responses that made the subject eligible for debate in parliament.

The news that the law will focus on safety and environmental impacting factors is welcome, although it does make it seem like there will be some changes incoming, particularly for the motorcycle sector. With emissions checks not currently taking place during motorcycle MoTs, bikers have for a while now had the option of de-catting their motorcycle. Taking the government’s now clarified position into account, that could become a thing of the past.

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