Police number plate cameras may breach RIPA Commissioner 359

On Fri, 28 Jul 2006 14:59:48 +0100, Conor wrote

Proof that engineering and maintenance is something else you know nothing about !

Even as the wheels turn when the vehicle rolls off the buttembly line, things are wearing. Very few things follow a pattern of "one moment 100% OK, then a moment later 'not safe'" - wear is gradual.

My tyres started life with 12mm tread, apart from punctures etc, they'll get changed when I buttess they're below what I feel is neccessary for my style of usage - and as they get some off-road use then that will probably be a significant factor. One factor will be 'cash in the pot' at the time - if I'm a bit tight for cash at the time then the tyres will go a bit longer (but still be well above the legal minimum).

Similarly brakes and steering. I've just done master cylinder seals as the pedal had just got to a state of having slight creepdown under just the right conditions - but not enough for the MoT tester to notice. I suspect they are the originals so it's taken 18 years to wear to that point - when did you last change brake master cylinder seals 'just in case' ? He did however notice that a ball joint is just showing detectable wear - so I'll be changing them all since if one is going the others probably aren't too far behind.

Neither are a hazzard, neither have gone from "OK to Not-OK" in a moment, both are being-have been dealt with, but right now if I was "forced" to spend £300 on a cruise control then both the brakes and steering would get left for another month or two - or if tyres were getting down then they'd be left on for another few months (£300 is about 2 1-2 tyres worth).

That doesn't make me a bad driver-owner, it just makes me part of the real life club ! We don't all have the luxury of having a newish car under a service contract where any minor issue is a "throw a new part at it" job.