Thule Towing Systems South Africa (SA) MD Mark Gutridge has welcomed the R718 000 upgrade of the towbar test cell at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), in Pretoria.

He believes it will pave the way for consumers to easily ascertain whether the towbar they are buying meets the required standards of strength and safety.

The SABS is mandated to test and verify whether products comply with national standards. The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) acts as the enforcement body of SABS specifications.

While a towbar standard – compulsory specification VC 8065 – has been in place since 2002, ongoing issues with running the test facility, both from a staff and equipment perspective, have made it virtually impossible for the NRCS to enforce its own standard, says Gutridge.

“The changes at the bureau are a step in the right direction, and will enable them to put aftermarket towbars through the standard two-million cycle test at a specified frequency, which is an adequate measure of a towbar’s design, engineering and manufacturing integrity,” he notes.

“The NRCS has certainly taken the lead in moving the process forward – and all credit to them. Savvy customers will now be able to ask retailers whether the towbar model they intend purchasing complies, and even ask to see a certificate which confirms this.”

Manufacturers and importers will pay a levy of R2.50 per towbar, enabling the NRCS to regulate the industry and enforce the standards. Products which are homologated for a new vehicle and fitted on the production line are exempt.

Failure to comply with the legislation can result in sanction.

“We ultimately have the power to prevent a company from selling a noncompliant product, and can go so far as to destroy exist- ing stock or send imported products back to their country of origin,” says NRCS automotive division light vehicles inspection and homologation manager Duncan Mutengwe.

Thule Towing Systems SA makes towing systems for several vehicle manufacturers in South Africa, as well as for the aftermarket. It has a 130 000-unit capacity plant in Pietermaritzburg, up from 60 000 units 18 months ago.