New York State is taking fresh legal steps to ban spinning hubcaps and wheels. Bill Number 1640 is presently being considered by the Senate Transportation Committee, and it would make such wheels illegal statewide. The bill was introduced previously, but it is now gaining traction after being reintroduced by State Senator John Sabini. The measure would fine vehicle owners up to $750 for a third (or subsequent) violation.
The folks at the SEMA (who mobilize and lobby on the behalf of automotive enthusiasts when it comes to such legal matters) are urging opposition to the measure, on the grounds that the wheels are not prohibited under Federal law, nor are there any conclusive studies that indicate that spinners pose a safety risk.
We know what you're thinking holmes: oh no they di'n't! Well, unfortunately, yes they did. Senator John Sabini is a source of the reintroduction of a bill (S.B. 1640) that would ban "spinners," with fines of $750 for the third and subsequent violations. Like a lot of other cases where the Government gets involved in issues which potentially breach the line between public and private life, a lobby group has already taken up the case of defending New Yorker's rights to spin to their heart's content: the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA for short) has already laid out a list of problems with the bill. SEMA argues that S.B. 1640 ignores the fact that custom wheels aren't prohibited under Federal law, that manufacturers are already required to notify the Government of safety problems within five days, and the fact that spinners are shown to have no detrimental effect on safety. As our Autoblog colleagues point out, the possibility that spinners could be distracting isn't a reasonable justification for the bill either: hubcap ads and even rims with integrated LEDs will remain legal if the bill becomes law. SEMA is calling for all spinner aficionados to get in touch with Senator Sabini and members of the New York Senate Transportation Committee, where the bill was recently referred.
