Will Your Collector Vehicle Be Banned From the Road?
By John M. Elko
May 4, 2007
I believe the current hysteria about global warming is going to affect you and your hobby. In this frenzy of finding ways to “save the planet”, your old cars will become a target. Government may not be able to take them away from you, but it could restrict your use. Can you imaging having to get an official permit, six months in advance, to drive to a car show? Forget about using your pride and joy as a daily driver.
In the overzealous desire to “do something”, I expect the old car hobby to come under legislative fire. No matter that natural events such as fires, volcanoes and ocean methane vents, produce tremendous amounts of “global warming” gasses, (The wildfires in Canada that burned for months a few years ago, reportedly produced as much CO2 as did all the cars in the USA during the same period.) If you have ever traveled in some “third world” countries, air pollution is unbelievable. The burning jungles in South America is a continuing source of carbon, and those destroyed jungles no longer clean it out of the air.
So to think that the small amount of reduction from limiting old cars on the road is going to save the world is faulty reasoning. However, in the hysteria, lawmakers will attack any possible target because “We have to do SOMETHING!”
Some of the recent trends that are just the tip of the iceberg include; the reversal of exemptions from smog checks for older vehicles; the proposals for roadside remote emission testing; and the accelerated vehicle retirement (scrappage) programs. These are the first salvos in targeting the old car hobby. When older car cars are mostly gone, what is the incentive for business to continue making parts for such limited sales? Close the plants, and there will be no parts for the classics either. We can expect more adverse legislation proposals in the future, as the global warming bandwagon expands.
How can the legislators be reined in? The most effective way is to present a united front of people who watch legislative issues, and appear before or write to those in office who decide these issues. In influencing Legislators, numbers count.
Of course, for you and me, who has time for all this? One solution is to join organizations that have your interest at heart, and are able to monitor and actively influence these legislators. Even if you cannot be an active participant, the fact that you or your clubs are registered as current members is very important.
In California there are only two organizations I know of that are pro-active in preserving the old car hobby. First is the ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA CAR CLUBS (ACCC). This organization hires a professional lobbyist to monitor California legislation, contact legislators, and lobby for our interests. As the name implies, they welcome car clubs to become members, however the also accept individual membership. (I am both a car club member and as individual member; that way, their newsletter is sent to me directly). The ACCC brochure contains a membership application, or, use their web site www.acccdefender.org to download the form. Annual dues are $75 for businesses, $25 for individuals, and $2 to $5 per member for clubs, depending on size.
A second organization is national in scope. Therefore, it monitors and influences the Federal Government, as well as all the states. This is the SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT MARKET ASSOCIATION. SEMA organizes a huge automotive trade show in Las Vegas each fall (SEMA-Las Vegas). You may have watched some of those automotive reality TV programs, when workers rush to complete a project in time for the “Unveiling at SEMA”.
SEMA represents over 6000 automotive businesses. Moreover, they are concerned with anything that may affect or reduce business of their member organizations. This includes “Auto Abatement” ordinances too.
SEMA invites interested people who are not associated with member business to join the SEMA ACTION NETWORK (SAN). The best thing is SAN membership is FREE to both individuals and clubs. Again, numbers count. Contact SAN at 202-783-6008 ext 39 or sign up on their website at www.semasan.com. More information is included in their brochure “How Laws impact the Auto Hobby…”
If you live outside of California, you should join your State government watchdog organization. I know there are several nationwide. They need your support too. Try searching the Internet for “car club legislation, and car club association (or council)”.
Thanks for reading this article, and please do your part in helping to preserve our hobby into the future.
Permission to distribute and reprint this article in its entirety in newsletters, magazines, e-mails and other auto hobby related publications is granted by the author. Credit should always be given to the source publication.
John M. Elkol
Red Bluff, CA
Member:
Contemporary Historical Vehicle Association (CHVA), Mt Shasta Region
Model A Ford Club of America (MAFCA)
Association of California Car Clubs (ACCC)
SEMA Action Network (SAN)
Redwood Region Director footnote:
For an interesting web site that provides very thought provoking “facts” regarding Global Warming check out http://nov55.com/gbwm.html
The Redwood Region has been a member of ACCC for many years.
