Do not implement proposed new offences for vehicle "tampering"
115,285 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 17 November 2021; it closed on 17 May 2022. The Government responded on 21 December 2021. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 25 April 2022.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Do not implement proposed new offences for vehicle "tampering"
The Government’s modernising vehicle standards proposal suggested new offences for tampering with a system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on a road. This could have a hugely detrimental impact on the UK motorsport and custom aftermarket industry.
Modified vehicles that are used on the roads are subject to the same MOT testing as all other road cars and there are therefore adequate safeguards to ensure modified vehicles are roadworthy.
The MOT also includes emissions testing, which ensure that modified cars do not breach emission standards.
Some modifications, such as aftermarket brake parts, can even increase safety and applying any offences to improvements like this would be illogical.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 21 December 2021; the petitions site lists the Department for Transport as responsible. Its summary:
The intention of the consultation proposal is to prevent modifications that negatively impact on road safety, vehicle security and the environment.
The opening 375 words of the 438-word response:
Our ‘Future of Transport’ work is a broad and ambitious programme focused on supporting the industry. The regulatory review aims to ensure our transport regulations are fit for the future.
As part of the Future of Transport: Modernising Vehicle Standards regulatory review, we have put forward proposals to enable Government to better target and prevent harmful tampering with vehicle emission control systems, as well as with safety and security critical systems, parts and components.
We are not proposing that all modifications be prevented, and we recognise there are legitimate reasons why a vehicle owner or business may want to modify a vehicle. Our proposals are not intended to hinder activities such as motorsports, restoration, repairs, or legitimate improvements and alterations to vehicles, or indeed do any damage to the businesses involved in these activities.
Nevertheless, certain modifications can negatively affect the safety and health of the vehicle owner, its occupants, other road users, and the wider population.
Tampering activities that prevent a vehicle’s emissions system from operating correctly, such as the removal of the diesel particulate filter from a vehicle’s exhaust, can significantly increase a vehicle’s harmful pollutant emissions.
Therefore, as vehicles become increasingly automated, we want to prevent alterations to a vehicle’s integral software and sensing technologies which could create safety and security risks. A badly modified vehicle has the potential to kill its occupants and other road users. It is also essential that we ensure modern vehicles remain cyber secure throughout their lifetime, and that any modifications do not make them vulnerable to malicious cyber-attacks.
The MOT test is an important part of ensuring that vehicles on our roads are safe and roadworthy. However, we must also recognise that the MOT test is fundamentally an inspection of a vehicle as presented at the time of a test and can only be a simple check.
There are risks in relying solely upon the MOT test to tackle harmful tampering. For example, it only includes basic checks for the presence and/or function of certain emissions control equipment and is not proof that the relevant emissions standards are being met. It is therefore important that we also have the powers to target and prevent tampering activities that negatively affect road safety, vehicle security and the environment.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 393, came from South Northamptonshire.
114,917 of the signatures were from the UK and 368 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South Northamptonshire | 393 |
| Banbury | 379 |
| Corby | 374 |
| Isle of Wight | 367 |
| Weston-Super-Mare | 366 |
| Taunton Deane | 359 |
| New Forest East | 358 |
| Wellingborough | 357 |
| Yeovil | 356 |
| North East Bedfordshire | 347 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 19,305 |
| East of England | 13,561 |
| South West | 13,084 |
| West Midlands | 10,798 |
| East Midlands | 10,415 |
| North West | 9,672 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 8,811 |
| Scotland | 8,431 |
| London | 5,954 |
| Wales | 5,414 |
| North East | 4,105 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,757 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 25 April 2022. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/600954.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
18b814c8f9215a91… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.