Car modification. When people think of modified cars, they think of this:
You’d be right.
However, that lowered stance is almost definitely illegal in Singapore, where heavy car modification is disallowed by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
It might be a controversial decision to hardcore car enthusiasts, but at the end of the day, the rules and regulations are to keep errant users in check.
There is a good reason to be strict with extreme car modifications.
Some, like undercarriage lights, end up distracting road users, while others like nitrous oxide bottles are downright dangerous.
It’s not that car modifications are disallowed entirely, though.
Contrary to popular belief, exhaust modifications, window tinting, even swapping out your transmission are actually all allowed with LTA’s approval.
However, there are some car modifications which are downright outlawed.
If you’re looking to modify your car, here’s a list of what you can or cannot do.
What you can modify without LTA approval:
- Bumpers
- Car seats
- Fog lamps
- Fuel additives
- Fuel molecule polarisers
- Gear knobs
- In-vehicle entertainment systems
- In-vehicle information & communication systems
- Intake air filters
- Intake manifolds
- Meters and gauges
- Radiators
- Rollover bars
- Roof racks
- Seat belts
- Side skirts
- Side windows and partitions (for light goods vehicles)
- Spark plugs and spark plug cables
- Spoilers
- Sports rims (for cars only)
- Steering wheels
- Sunshades
- Suspension systems
- Tinted films
- Tinted glass – At least 70 percent of light must be able to pass through the front windscreen and the two front side windows, and at least 25 percent of light must be able to pass through the rear windscreen and the two rear side windows.
- Tyres
What you can modify with LTA approval:
- Engines
- Exhaust system
- Hoods or canopies
- Seating arrangements
- Sunroofs
- Superchargers or turbochargers
- Transmission
What you cannot modify/add to your vehicle at all:
- Air horns
- Chassis
- Crash bars
- (Aftermarket) Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs)
- Decorative lights (like undercarriage neon lights)
- Increasing engine capacity (boring out the engine)
- (Aftermarket) High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights
- Removing protective motorcycle chain guards
- Disabling the automatic switch-on function of motorcycle headlights
- Nitrous injection devices
- (Use of) Spot lamps
- Tinting or masking of vehicle lamps
- Tow hooks
