THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Department of Motor Vehicles is considering a decision to deny insurance to vehicles with unauthorized alterations. Installing lights and other alterations in watts higher than the capacity specified by the vehicle manufacturers could lead to disasters including fire.

As a first step, the MVD will give awareness to riders. If still not getting the desired results, insurance will be denied. To materialize this rule, the department officials will soon hold discussions with the insurance companies.

A study committee appointed by the government found that the main cause of fire in vehicles is illegal modification. To avoid this trend, the committee itself proposed the idea to deny insurance for such violators.

The lower variant vehicle will have the lights, horn and camera of the higher variant vehicles. Other electrical materials will also be modified. The lights will be installed in Watts more than the capacity specified by the company. This is often done in substandard workshops. Such modification is done by cutting the circuit and cables installed by the vehicle manufacturers and then splicing low-quality cables. The heat generated by the unauthorized installation of high-wattage lights can cause fires

Such alteration should be allowed only in the authorized workshops approved by the manufacturer. The committee has also suggested that action should be taken against substandard workshops agreeing to do such alterations.

According to the report, fire extinguishers should be made mandatory in all vehicles and seat belt cutters and hammers for breaking glass should be available in case of emergency. The transport department will ask the vehicle manufacturers to consider this suggestion.