SLROC Forum

Spotted a very nice tomb raider edition crew cab near Westfield west lothian. Very very nice fully loaded truck. Had brush wires fitted which caught my eye but aren't they illegal on public roads?

There's been much debate on this, and you always get folk saying that they've drove about with them for years, or even worse the "my mate" bullshit stories, however it would be an offence under construction and use, but I dare say that many winch bumpers and other extrusions come under the same banner.

Regulation 53 Road Vehicles (Construction and Use)
Regulations 1986.
"No mascot emblem or other object shall be
carried by a motor vehicle in any position where it is likely to strike any
person with whom the vehicle may collide unless the mascot is not liable to
cause injury to such a person by reasons of any projections thereon" except
vehicles used before 1 October 1937, and certain classic vehicles.


Although your average cop won't have a clue, but chop someone in twain with a bush wire and I'm sure a knowledgable traffic officer will happily do you

I run with them on but get that I take the risk around being booked (or worse, injuring someone). My only defence is that they were factory fitted (Camel Trophy truck)......  Alan.

Speaking to a traffic cop last night who was aware of the above mentioned construnction and use legislation but hadn't heard of brush cables. I showed him a picture. He has gone to look it up and get back to me. He did say if they are needed and removable ones are available then why take the chance of permanently mounting them and possibly run the risk of killing someone in an otherwise survivable accident and getting into bother. Seemed a reasonable statement.

Speaking to a traffic cop last night who was aware of the above mentioned construnction and use legislation but hadn't heard of brush cables. I showed him a picture. He has gone to look it up and get back to me. He did say if they are needed and removable ones are available then why take the chance of permanently mounting them and possibly run the risk of killing someone in an otherwise survivable accident and getting into bother. Seemed a reasonable statement.

Its the day job for me Graeme 

The fact that they are fitted as standard to camel trophy motors means not a jot if you injure someone with them.

They are of course very useful off road and I'm going to fit them to my 90, but I'd take them off for road use, I've seen quick release ones before which looked good, they are pretty easy to make, but this mob seem to do a fair range

http://www.bushcables.com/what-the-law-says/

Thanks for the advice and that's done it for me - I'll whip them off at the weekend and add to my pile of other Camel stuff in the garage....  Alan.

I run bush cables full time passed 2 mots with them on and never been questions, as for the danger of injuring someone by the time they have managed  to get above the height of the landy, got past the solid steel winch bumper over the light guards and then hit the bush cables they will be doing well.

So where do you stop ???winch bumpers that are pedestrian friendly but don't use them as they will not take the weight..... rock sliders they could also be a problem too.

How about the ladder on the back leading up to the roof rack there could be a danger there too..... mind you may be the roof rack could cause an injury.........

Be proud of the landy you drive ......

 

I run bush cables full time passed 2 mots with them on and never been questions, as for the danger of injuring someone by the time they have managed  to get above the height of the landy, got past the solid steel winch bumper over the light guards and then hit the bush cables they will be doing well.

So where do you stop ???winch bumpers that are pedestrian friendly but don't use them as they will not take the weight..... rock sliders they could also be a problem too.

How about the ladder on the back leading up to the roof rack there could be a danger there too..... mind you may be the roof rack could cause an injury.........

Be proud of the landy you drive ......

Thats because there is no part of the MOT that would look at them or a ruling to make them unsafe - therefore cant be failed on them.

BUT

If you had to stand up in court and defend their fitment because someone had been thrown up and halfed by one, you may well get accused of fitting accessories (and subsequently dangerous) to your vehicle when you didn't have need for them at the time of incident. There is an argument that they can be easily fitted and removed for road use.

This is why steel bull bars are no longer allowed to be fitted by manufacturers (and also a lot of insurance companies wont permit them), and also why Jaguar no longer have their mascot on the bonnet (and why the Rolls Royce Spirit of Ecstasy is retractable).

On the scale of potential injury to a person the wires are pretty severe compared to a winch bumper as a percentage (its unlikely that you bumper will remove limbs).

So, not technically illegal by the book, but there is nothing to stop you being judged irresponsible for what you do to your car. Its a choice you have to make for  yourself.

 Vehicles can only fail MOT for defective items which are testable under the relevant regulations so it is possible to pass a vehicle which has a potentially serious defect. Testers are only authorised to apply the standards laid down in the test regulations. It is therefore possible to have a Prohibition issued by either a VOSA Examiner or an authorised Constable for a defect which is not a testable item. By logical extension a prosecution could be raised, despite a fresh test certificate being issued, for a defect not covered by the MOT. I believe regulation 100 of C & U allows for prosecution for the presence of "Dangerous Parts". Each case would be judged on it's merits with photographs being taken for evidence or, in extreme cases, the vehicle being impounded until the case comes to court. I would agree that there is no reasonable case for "Brush wires" being fitted for use on public roads & that they present a clear & present danger to other road users.  A good example of a reasonable excuse for "dangerous parts" in use on a public road would be snow plough blades & associated parts being fitted in winter conditions. The blade etc is normally removed for summer use of the vehicle.