Discussion
I think it's too easy in some areas and a bit petty in others but I guess you have to draw the line somewhere! On the whole, I'd be inclined to leave it as it is and wait to see if kit car accidents / injuries get any better or worse in the next few years. I suspect that the numbers are so tiny, it just won't make much difference either way.
There are definately areas that could be relaxed, mostly to do with the external radii.
The current regs say all external surfaces (except wheel nuts) should be 2.5mm (ish). Yep, I can see that you don't want sharp edges on the outside.
But that has been interpreted to mean the nuts holding the spare wheel on must have the corners rounded off, you can't fit a soft top because the studs that hold it down are pointy, people have had to file radii onto e-marked rear reflectiors & tail lamp lense screw holes. That sort of thing is not based on any crash case I can imagine. If you reverse over a pedestrian, the injuries sustained from a rear reflector edge are not likly to be the primary concern of the paramedics!
On the other hand a 2CV based trike with exposed red hot exhausts sticking out ahead of the front wheels is just fine.
Generally SVA is a good thing & has raised the standards, but it's been on the books a long time now, so maybe a fine tune is in order. Though knowing this Government's attitude to combining motoring with enjoyment, perhaps it's better just left alone.
The current regs say all external surfaces (except wheel nuts) should be 2.5mm (ish). Yep, I can see that you don't want sharp edges on the outside.
But that has been interpreted to mean the nuts holding the spare wheel on must have the corners rounded off, you can't fit a soft top because the studs that hold it down are pointy, people have had to file radii onto e-marked rear reflectiors & tail lamp lense screw holes. That sort of thing is not based on any crash case I can imagine. If you reverse over a pedestrian, the injuries sustained from a rear reflector edge are not likly to be the primary concern of the paramedics!
On the other hand a 2CV based trike with exposed red hot exhausts sticking out ahead of the front wheels is just fine.
Generally SVA is a good thing & has raised the standards, but it's been on the books a long time now, so maybe a fine tune is in order. Though knowing this Government's attitude to combining motoring with enjoyment, perhaps it's better just left alone.
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