"Your tyres are not legal so......."

Submitted: Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 19:07
ThreadID: 15359 Views:3120 Replies:7 FollowUps:11
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"I'm sorry Sir but you're not insured".

These are words I'm sure none of us ever want to hear after an accident etc.

Would like to know the general attitude on the forum regarding oversize tyres.

By oversize I mean only 25mm over the 15mm legal height limit.
i.e total 40mm increase from original.

I’m sure a number of us would fall into this category.

Do most ignore this limit and risk it ?

Anyone have insurance examples re this ?

My now cavernous wheel wells are making the current tyres look like pygmies.
What's the go ?

John

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Reply By: schevchenko - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 19:22

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 19:22
I am all ears as I have yet to hear a satisfactory answer on this topic. I don't want to rely on the good will of some insurance bloke when assessing an incident. How about a specialist insurer?
AnswerID: 71548

Reply By: Member - Jimbo (VIC) - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 19:32

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 19:32
John,

I wanted better tyres fiited to my car before I bought it and thought I could fit pretty much anything. I then found out that speed and load ratings must be at least those as per your tyre placard. As for size, I'm not sure. It's worth investigating with your relevant state authority and your insurance company before doing anything, and get it in writing
AnswerID: 71552

Follow Up By: Member - John C (QLD) - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:57

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:57
thks
done all that
i'm stuffed then.
damn rules
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FollowupID: 331756

Reply By: Jimbo (WA) - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:00

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:00
I know what you're saying - but at least you can legally change tyre OD by 15mm - in WA you are not allowed ANY increase in OD, which makes the 30" tyres I have to run on my Hilux look a bit,......... well small!

In WA any Hilux with 31" tyres (probably about 90%) is, strictly speaking, illegal.
AnswerID: 71567

Follow Up By: Member - John C (QLD) - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:55

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:55
Bl...dy hell, thought Qld was bad with some of our stupid laws.
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FollowupID: 331755

Reply By: Member - Ivan (ACT) - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:07

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:07
It's a pretty stupid rule - but rule it is...

If you increase the rolling diameter by more than the allowed figure (it slips my mind), then your car is not roadworthy... No ifs or buts - (here in Canberra anyway)

If your car is not roadworthy, it is uninsured....

Like you say - probably won't get picked up for it BUT...

I got an Engineer's Certificate for $280 and now RTA and Insurance are both happy.

I can't see any other way but to close your eyes and hold your breath if you have a prang!!!!
Cheers,

Ivan
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AnswerID: 71570

Follow Up By: Member - John C (QLD) - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:54

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:54
Ivan
Was the enginerer's certificate for the car as a whole incl tyres. (are yours oversize)?

JC
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FollowupID: 331754

Follow Up By: Member - Ivan (ACT) - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 21:33

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 21:33
John,

cost of the EC was low due to the assessment just being for the oversize tyres (265/75 instead of 265/70s)

He did speedo assessments, brake check, handling, checked some measurements - but I've got a nice little report which covers it well - showed the RTA - no probs
Cheers,

Ivan
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Reply By: GO_OFFROAD - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:13

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:13
You notify your insurance company of the change and get it noted on the policy, they will tell you if they wont cover it when you notify them, if they dont, and it is noted on the policy, its covered.

Insurance companies lose customers by policing things the police and RTA should be doing, so they simply dont do it, as they insure things, not police them.
AnswerID: 71571

Follow Up By: Member - John C (QLD) - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:59

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 20:59
ah..
a light at the end of the tunnel.
will give it a go.
thks GO
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FollowupID: 331757

Follow Up By: GO_OFFROAD - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 21:06

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 21:06
I also offer my car for inspection each yr to the insurance company, with all my acc noted on the policy, $22 k worth actually, and 10k camping gear if something happens while on a trip too, they always reply by mail to my letter of offer to inspect saying no need to do so, so I keep that, and if ever they knock me on anything for insurance when I have a claim, I will notify them I offered the car for inspection before accepting my money and covering it for another year, and was refused.

This then says, "i told you what I had, and offered you a chance to see what you were covering, and you refused the offer to do so, and accepted my money to cover the vehicle"
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Follow Up By: Member - Ivan (ACT) - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 21:37

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 21:37
Darren,

What about the fine print which says "it is your responsibility to keep your car roadworthy", and if you don't you're not covered.

Agree in most cases they probably won't force the issue - but I put insurance companies in the same category as used car salesmen ;-)

For $280, there's just no question about coverage - each to their own I guess
Cheers,

Ivan
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FollowupID: 331767

Follow Up By: mr diamond - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 21:49

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 21:49
most insurance companys can not knock you back if your vehicle is unroadworthy unless it actually causes the accident.
eg your on the mobile phone speeding and you run up someones ass.
insurance company go over the car and say your number plate light dosnt work so its unroadworthy and were not paying.
but say you had bigger than legal tyres fitted they would then say the bigger tyres impaired your braking so now were not paying
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FollowupID: 331770

Follow Up By: Member - Rohan K - Monday, Aug 09, 2004 at 15:50

Monday, Aug 09, 2004 at 15:50
The above is not strictly true. Read your policy VERY carefully. You may well find that if the vehicle is unroadworthy (and a particular reason is not required, and therefore it's contribution to an accident is contractually irrelevant) then the vehicle is not insured at all.

And whilst the comment about a number plate light may be correct, any mechanical deviation that renders a vehicle unroadworthy will be scrutinised to the nth degree.

BTW, do an archive search on this Topic. David (EO) started a thread sometime ago on exactly the same issue.
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FollowupID: 332048

Reply By: brett - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 23:19

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 23:19
or what about your original muffler was worn out so you replaced it, but the one you replaced it with is a bit louder and on a dB meter is 1dB over the legal limit,so tecnically it's no longer compliant to the ADR's, you then have an accident, can they refuse to pay? Probably not.
A better question would be a poll on who's had an insurance payment refused because their tyre's were 25mm bigger than standard and whose made claims successfully with 25mm bigger tyres.
AnswerID: 71604

Follow Up By: mr diamond - Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 23:57

Friday, Aug 06, 2004 at 23:57
gday brett.
david asked that question a while back and if im right no one had been knocked back.
cheers
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FollowupID: 331797

Reply By: Member - KG (QLD) - Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 at 19:22

Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 at 19:22
insurance companies are dirty greasy worms that will do anything to avoid paying.

if you're 5mm over the legal diameter the car is unroadworthy and you're out on your own.

and don't forget - it's not just your accident insurance. you have no third party either. hit someone and put them in a wheelchair or similar and you have a whole set of new problems.

as much as i hate it... i run legal tyres. it's not worth the risk.

AnswerID: 72074

Follow Up By: brett - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 18:40

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 18:40
What's the definition of unroadworthy though. If you've just had your car inspected for rego and it's passed, surely it can't be declared unroadworthy, that's the whole point of the inspection
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FollowupID: 332369

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