Tested overseas, examined locally

No regulations governing unsafe vehicle importation

Chad Bryan,  Automotives Writer

Ongoing efforts have made motor vehicles safer than ever before, with manufacturers going beyond standard safety requirements to implement more modern refinements. Still, with massive amounts of money and research being funnelled into vehicle safety, there are still a few unsafe cars coming into the country - and there appears to be little or no standards governing their importation.

Car manufacturers often proclaim the safety of new models, stating how well they have performed in the tests required for the country or region.

Chairman of the new-car importers organisation, Automobile Dealers' Association (ADA), Kent LaCroix, said each vehicle being imported ought to conform to a guaranteed safety standard.

"Each manufacturer, before exporting a car, has to meet safety standards. There is a guarantee. If there is a fault, the manufacturer will recall the vehicle from the region," he said.

Further, LaCroix said, "Each vehicle also has a local fitness test before it is delivered to a customer."

However, with a large number of used motor vehicles coming into Jamaica, there are many other factors to consider. Some may already have their airbags deployed or missing, disc pads and tyres may be worn, or seat belts absent, although the exterior of the vehicle looks pristine.

Executive director of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), Paula Fletcher, explained that she is not aware of any regulations governing the importation of unsafe vehicles, but pointed out that the new Road Safety Act, for which the watchdog group has been lobbying, will set regulations for tyre depth.

NEW ROAD SAFETY ACT

"The new one will set a standard with regard to the tyre depth. The tyre depth needs to be at a certain level to give you the traction necessary for the road. The standard we have in the current act is a faulty standard. It says when your tyre is showing the breaker strip, that is when it is deemed defective under the law," Fletcher said.

She also pointed out that sometimes, in order to pass the required inspection, motorists exchange tyres prior to going to the examination depot. Fletcher explained that the NRSC functions as a watchdog, and therefore does not have the power to remove unsafe vehicles from the road.

President of the Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association, Lynvalle Hamilton, is adamant that vehicles which do not meet safety standards should not be on the road.

"As it relates to governing importation, there is nothing there. However, before the car goes on the road, the examiner would test the car. That is what is established. If Customs believes though that the vehicle can be hazardous, they will not allow the vehicle in. However, if it does pass Customs, the examiner will not pass the vehicle for the road," Hamilton said.

The Customs Department and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica do not have regulations governing unsafe vehicle importation.