When it comes to our belongings and possessions, we want to make sure they’re somehow different from the rest. Some do it for easier identification, while others do it to stand out. For instance, most homeowners look for certain things for their house to make it an extension of themselves. They look for items, like an indoor doormat, online that match their personality and style preference.
However, as far as car customization is concerned, not all modifications are considered road-worthy. Plenty of things that car customizers used to do a couple of decades ago are no longer deemed safe for the road.
Car Mods That Are No Longer Safe for Road Use
Here are some car mods that are no longer safe and are considered hazardous:
Ultra black window tinting
While tinting may not seem dangerous, it does present quite a few road hazards. Tinting, especially the really dark ones, affects a person’s ability to clearly see their surroundings, especially at night. All tinted vehicles should allow for at least 25% or higher light transmission to be considered roadworthy.
Lift kits
Lift kits are quite common for vehicle and truck owners. Most folks raise their vehicles to make them stand out but fail to realize the dangers they present. Although they give the driver a better line of sight in front, it also sets them back with a few blind spots. Plus, raised vehicles have a higher risk of rollovers.
Low-riders
On the other hand, one might think that lowering your line of sight by bringing your car closer to the ground is helpful. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. There have been plenty of instances where lowered vehicles have been involved in crashes and accidents avoiding potholes and other obstructions to prevent chassis damage.
Headlight mods
Generally, headlight mods are considered illegal in many countries unless approved by their respective transportation departments. All lighting needs to be adequate and effective on the road. Anything outside of that can cause injuries and accidents. Inadequate lighting is harmful to both the driver and oncoming traffic because it affects the driver’s ability to see clearly at night, making it difficult for other cars to see it on the road.
Whistle tips
Can we all just agree that whistle tips are annoying and distracting, which can be quite dangerous when on the road? Besides being an extremely loud noise pollutant, it also distracts other motorists and prevents them from hearing sirens blaring and other things happening on the streets.
Sport seats
Sports seats were huge in the ‘90s and early 2000s. Some car owners still modify their rides with sports seats to this day to make their vehicles a lot cooler. While racing seats may seem harmless, it has been found that they do more harm in an accident and can cause serious injuries.
Lambo doors
We’ve all dreamed of owning a Lamborghini mainly because of its scissor doors. It is, after all, unique and cool. This is why many car owners decided to modify their car doors and convert them into Lambo doors. But the thing is, most cars aren’t built the way a Lamborghini is built, which presents all sorts of problems for the customization. Besides being a very expensive mod, scissor doors are also prone to breaking and falling off their hinges.
Coal-rolling
With all the things that a fellow can do to his car, we don’t understand how some guys find rolling coal cool. To the uninitiated, rolling coal involves adding more diesel to your engine for a truck to produce a thick black trail of smoke. This is dangerous to the environment, but it also poses health risks to those with respiratory problems.
Neon lighting
One of the easiest ways to modify a vehicle is to tweak its lighting system. In recent years, neon lights have become a trend among motorists and car enthusiasts, especially with those easy-to-install neon light kits. However, no matter how cool it makes your ride look, it can be quite distracting for other motorists and pedestrians.
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, or NOS, has become a big thing among motorheads. Blame it on Dominic Toretto and his family. NOS is a very effective way of boosting your car’s speed which makes for a really thrilling ride. However, ultra-high speeds aren’t intended for the road but on tracks. It only takes an irresponsible or inexperienced driver to get behind a NOS-powered car to create a road mishap. Plus, NOS is a lot more combustible than gasoline which all the more increases the risks.
When customizing your vehicle, we hope that more than making it stand out, your first consideration will always be road safety and roadworthiness. There’s no point in spending so much on your mods that it becomes a danger to those you encounter on the road. Keep those mods to a minimum and stay safe at all times.
