How many points are deducted for being caught with a modified exhaust?
3 Answers
Illegal vehicle modifications result in a fine and 6 points deducted. Unauthorized vehicle modifications refer to those made without approval from relevant authorities. The Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China is enacted to maintain road traffic order, prevent and reduce traffic accidents, protect personal safety, safeguard the property safety and other legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons, and other organizations, and improve traffic efficiency. The following behaviors will be directly penalized by traffic police: 1. Behavior one: Installing detachable license plate frames. Many citizens use detachable license plate frames to protect their license plates, but such vehicles will be deemed unqualified and cannot pass annual inspections. 2. Behavior two: Changing the vehicle color, replacing the engine, or applying non-compliant window tinting. Many young car owners are keen on modifying the appearance and interior of their vehicles, some even replacing the engine. According to relevant laws, vehicles must match the factory information before registration, and after registration, they must match the information recorded on the vehicle registration certificate. Changing the vehicle color, tires, etc., is not allowed without authorization. 3. Behavior three: Installing high-intensity xenon headlights. Many car owners find their headlights insufficiently bright for night driving and choose to install high-intensity xenon headlights without authorization. According to relevant regulations, added or modified xenon headlights will definitely fail annual inspections. Privately installed xenon headlights will be penalized under "improper use of vehicle lights," resulting in a fine and 1 point deducted.
A friend of mine modified his exhaust before and got caught. He said the traffic police issued a ticket on the spot with a fine of 500 yuan, but no points were deducted. The main thing was that he was asked to revert the exhaust to its original state. Generally speaking, if you're caught just for modifying the exhaust pipe, according to regulations, it's considered illegal modification. The penalty is usually a fine ranging from 500 to 1000 yuan, along with a deadline to restore the factory condition. Deduction of points is not common in such cases. However, if you're reported for loud exhaust noise or caught during a crackdown, you might get 3 points deducted. If it involves other violations like speeding, then it could lead to a deduction of 6 points or more. A special reminder: annual vehicle inspections will definitely check this, and any exhaust that has been required to be rectified will fail the inspection. So if you really want to modify your exhaust, it's better to choose a valve exhaust system that can switch to a silent mode, or simply leave the exhaust system untouched.
I'm quite familiar with car modifications, and many of my car enthusiast friends have had their share of troubles. Just taking exhaust modifications as an example, if you're caught by the police on the spot, you're most likely to face a fine of 500 yuan and be required to restore the original setup, without immediate point deductions. However, enforcement varies by city—strict cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen might have more rigid traffic officers who could directly deduct 3 points. The real hassle isn't the fine or points; it's the chain reaction of modifications—failing the annual vehicle inspection, potential insurance claim rejections, or even having your car impounded. If you ask me, if you really want to enjoy the exhaust sound, opt for a kit with variable valves. Keep the valves closed for quiet city commutes and open them for weekend mountain drives—safe and legal.
