are your fast road pads street legal???? they might not be

[jonnyc]

Oh, I've no doubt it could be done if they wanted to find out - but on the flip side I'd have a hard time proving my road pads are actually DS Performance, as they're now unidentifiable to anyone just visually checking I'm legal.

Which is the point I was making.. If the insurance company is going to the lengths of sending off brake pad material for compound analysis.. Cross referencing against stock compound on the premis that there 'may' be an indiscrepancy in the material then I think your already well in the sh*t..

In my opinion there are much more dangerous things to be worried about.. Like volcanoes.. And angry birds..

[andrewparker]

Personally if I found out something on my car was illegal I'd change it immediately, regardless of whether I thought it made the car safer or not.

[animal]

Oh, I've no doubt it could be done if they wanted to find out - but on the flip side I'd have a hard time proving my road pads are actually DS Performance, as they're now unidentifiable to anyone just visually checking I'm legal.

Which is the point I was making.. If the insurance company is going to the lengths of sending off brake pad material for compound analysis.. Cross referencing against stock compound on the premis that there 'may' be an indiscrepancy in the material then I think your already well in the sh*t..

In my opinion there are much more dangerous things to be worried about.. Like volcanoes.. And angry birds..

I can cite two cases from memory, one where a GPS was sent to its manufacturer for interogation to determine speed/acceleration etc at the point of impact to help proove who was at fault and another case when brake light bulbs were actually put under a microscope to determine whether they were on or not at the moment of impact - i.e. did the driver actually react and brake (the filaments deform differently depending on whether they are hot:on or cold:off). I think that these two scenarios are proof enough that investigations can, and do, go to the level of detail referred to above.

As I said before, it does clearly depend on the severity of the incident as to how far the investigation goes. Like you say Jonny, you're probably already in trouble at this point as you would've had to have killed someone for it to go this far, where it becomes a criminal investigation, but it could in theory happen to any of us. At least if your insurance is still valid you are covered financially for court appearances, costs and the compensation to the victims next of kin. Yes, you'll probably be looking at some time at Her Majesty's pleasure which might initially eclipse anything else, but you'll be broke when you finally get out as well in you've voided your insurance!

And Jonny, I'm not sure your insurance would cover you for a volcano, I'm pretty sure that comes under an 'act of God'. 

[animal]

Personally if I found out something on my car was illegal I'd change it immediately, regardless of whether I thought it made the car safer or not.

It does beg the question though, how would you know if you bought the car and it already had the pads fitted...?

[RedRobin]

Wow!

Thankyou, animal  . I had no idea about the legality of DS2500's. I best wear them out asap and then go legal.

[bacillus]

Wow!

Thankyou, animal  . I had no idea about the legality of DS2500's. I best wear them out asap and then go legal.

Are there any other pads out there for your AP bbk though?

[Poverty]

people on here have alot more obvious illegal mods and yet are worried about brake pads

[Janner_Sy]

this is the reason i posted this.  potential real implications involved here

[Janner_Sy]

@ poverty if they do, then they do. The more fool them.

all my mods were declared but i was oblivious to this issue so im as involved here as most others.

 if others have got this issue, then who cares.they either havent declared for some reason(of which if they hit as a result id not be to happy) or they are covered.  its almost like soneone not having insurance

[Poverty]

@ poverty if they do, then they do. The more fool them.

all my mods were declared but i was oblivious to this issue so im as involved here as most others.

 if others have got this issue, then who cares.they either havent declared for some reason(of which if they hit as a result id not be to happy) or they are covered.  its almost like soneone not having insurance

Not saying this thread is pointless, be aware of the risks and make your own decisions imo, but alot of people are running decats for example, and thats not exactly hard to miss compared to non road legal pads!

[cmdrfire]

I believe Volcanos are classed as force majeure like earthquakes.
I once read a legal document where the getout clause included "Acts of God, Poltergeists, and other Supernatural Powers"...

Not saying this thread is pointless, be aware of the risks and make your own decisions imo, but alot of people are running decats for example, and thats not exactly hard to miss compared to non road legal pads!

Wrong. On the road, it's vital to remember that it is not only your own safety/health/well-being but that of others. If you act irresponsibly and kill yourself that's one thing; but it is morally wrong to infringe upon someone else's safety/health/well-being through your own irresponsibility.

[Poverty]

I believe Volcanos are classed as force majeure like earthquakes.
I once read a legal document where the getout clause included "Acts of God, Poltergeists, and other Supernatural Powers"...

Not saying this thread is pointless, be aware of the risks and make your own decisions imo, but alot of people are running decats for example, and thats not exactly hard to miss compared to non road legal pads!

Wrong. On the road, it's vital to remember that it is not only your own safety/health/well-being but that of others. If you act irresponsibly and kill yourself that's one thing; but it is morally wrong to infringe upon someone else's safety/health/well-being through your own irresponsibility.

This world is full of irresponsible people, and it doesnt require non road legal brake pads to infringe on someone elses safety etc etc etc

Therefore, be aware of the risks, and make your own decisons and take the necessary steps to not kill anoyone, and lets be clear here, these pads are here to help slow us down quicker, fitting them isnt all of a sudden going to make you more likely to run someone over. Plus, it might be illegal in the UK, but in germany it could be fully legal. Does using these pads in the UK make me a bad person, but in german just a enthusiast?

Let common sense prevail.

Now, lets turn this mob onto the numerous "premium car" drivers who fit budget tyres to their vehicles 

[cmdrfire]

This world is full of irresponsible people, and it doesnt require non road legal brake pads to infringe on someone elses safety etc etc etc

Therefore, be aware of the risks, and make your own decisons and take the necessary steps to not kill anoyone, and lets be clear here, these pads are here to help slow us down quicker, fitting them isnt all of a sudden going to make you more likely to run someone over. Plus, it might be illegal in the UK, but in germany it could be fully legal. Does using these pads in the UK make me a bad person, but in german just a enthusiast?

Let common sense prevail.

Now, lets turn this mob onto the numerous "premium car" drivers who fit budget tyres to their vehicles 

No, it's a harmonised standard, so if it's illegal for street use in the UK it's more likely than not illegal in the rest of the EU, and illegal is illegal whatever way you look at it. These pads may help you slow down quicker under certain circumstances but there are reasons they are not type approved.

Let me tell you as an auto engineer that the various standards are good things that are there for a reason, they have been adopted for a reason, and they should be followed, and noncomplying equipment should not be fitted on a whim because you feel they make you stop better.

I'm not saying that these things will automagically make you infringe upon other people's safety or make you less irresponsible, it's just that 1) they have not been approved for road use for a reason and 2) said reason could possibly one day injure someone.

In my experience common sense has little basis in reality; I rely on good ol' horse-sense myself.

Definitely agree on budget tyre people though they're crazy.

[RedRobin]

Wow!

Thankyou, animal  . I had no idea about the legality of DS2500's. I best wear them out asap and then go legal.

Are there any other pads out there for your AP bbk though?

....Only AP's new pads which they have manufactured for themselves and this is very recent.

I've missed in this thread when Rule 90 began to apply. If AP Racing, for example, sell their BBK like mine as suitable for High Performance Road use then surely they don't do so as knowingly illegal.

Is there not an element of 'direct cause' inasmuch that in an accident the fault must be shown to be the brakes and their 'failure'?

All this lowest common denominator stuff combined with so much bureaucratic legislation begins to potentially lose sight of the important basics: Effective braking power. Are my DS2500's really going to throw me into an accident?

Now I know, I will change them next time but I have yet to be convinced that my car's brakes are dangerous.

[RedRobin]

Just an additional thought and I am in no way rejecting animal's posted information about insurance etc and the worst scenarios.

However, I'd be inclined to challenge an insurer's rejection if (as in my case) all the mods have been formally declared and listed, on the basis of the insurer having prior full knowledge and accepting to give insurance.