AA: Raise lift standards
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• safety standards are needed urgently for car scissor jacks, ramps and axle stands, says the Automobile Association. At present there are no British Standards for amps and axle stands, and even the British Standard which covers scissor jacks is not mandatory.
In light of this, the AA carried out an objective assessment of the "Lifting gear" widely available at accessory shops. AA engineers bought samples of the three types of equipment, across the price range, to see how they performed. Out of 16 products only one received a completely clean bill of health. One car jack, which emerged as "downright dangerous", has now been withdrawn from the market but many could still be in use by DIV motorists.
The Association would like to see the equipment bearing some means of identifying the manufacturer or importer since envisaged product liability legislation will be of little use if the firm responsible is anonymous.
Even reliable equipment, it says, must be used with caution; bricks, cans or boxes should NEVER be used to support a car.
The AA Testline report on jacks, ramps and axle stands is available from its Technical Services Department.