openinverter forum

Tackling tampering

We will create new offences for tampering with a system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on a road. This will enable us to address existing gaps in the legislation, ensuring cleaner and safer vehicles. We will also create new offences for tampering with non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) and for advertising ‘tampering’ services or products.

This will strengthen our ability to enforce compliance in this area.

We are aware that the Law Commissions in both their first and third consultations on automated vehicles have considered tampering. We await their final recommendations and would welcome views on our proposals, as follows.

Specifically, we would look to create:

a specific offence for supplying, installing and/or advertising, a ‘tampering product’ for a vehicle or NRMM – this would apply where a principal effect of the product is to bypass, defeat, reduce the effectiveness of or render inoperative a system, part or component (the product may be a physical part or component, hardware and/or software)
a specific offence for removing, reducing the effectiveness of, or rendering inoperative a system, part or component for a vehicle/NRMM and advertising such services

catphish wrote: ↑Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:47 pm Fortunately, the law they are actually proposing would seem not ban tampering at all, only ban "tampering products", ie off the shelf systems sold for the specific purpose of tampering with existing systems. In theory, this could make something like openinverter boards illegal, but since they're never intended to be installed in a Tesla, I can't think how it could apply.

In my opinion, the purpose of this law will be to target people selling "speed limiter de-activator chip", or "emissions warning light disabling cable", not serious vehicle rebuilds. However, while I don't think this is cause for immediate concern, it is obviously the first step towards a ban on vehicle modification, which seems inevitable in the long term.

a specific offence for removing, reducing the effectiveness of, or rendering inoperative a system, part or component for a vehicle/NRMM and advertising such services
a specific offence for allowing for use or providing a vehicle or NRMM that has had the operations described in the previous 2 points performed on it

Jack Bauer wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 7:46 am Good news is that few if any such laws are ever applied retrospectively so convert now:)