The idea for a vehicle modification, its visual and structural design are largely a product of one's creative mind. Hence, these ideas can be termed as art, and consequently, it can be said that vehicle modification is an expression of art. One can therefore say that banning auto modifications is a violation of one's freedom of expression.

Vehicle modification has been heavily restricted by the Indian government and virtually banned through legislation in the name of safety to the stakeholders including drivers, co-passengers, pedestrians, shops and houses on road sides. This ban has been ratified by the Supreme Court of India too¹.

There must be no doubt that safety supersedes freedom of expression. But the question is, are vehicle modifications indeed a safety threat?

If you pay attention to the global automotive world, you can find modified vehicles in countries with stricter traffic rules. Add to this that our authorities haven't produced any evidence for their claim that vehicle modification compromises safety. This claim is an assumption by the legislation and motor vehicle department.

Engineering is all about trade-offs — or making balancing acts for a particular advantage. Every side effect of vehicle modification caused to the structural integrity of the vehicle, if any, can be offset by clever engineering.

Given these arguments, we can arrive at a healthy conclusion that sensible vehicle modifications are not a threat to the safety of stakeholders.