Not happy!!!

[ute351]

My wife just got booked for "driving motor vehicle with plate attached when paint is not legible".

Fair enough, the plates are a little hard to read, but when you buy a car with a recent safety certificate, you don't expect to get booked for such a thing!

That's right, we just picked up our new car (used), and literally driving it home from his place to ours she got pulled over and booked for above offence! I was following behind her in our other car when the unmarked car pulled in front of me, followed her a bit then flashed their lights. I get out and ask whats going on, and he replys the plates not legible so hes giving her a ticket.

I explain to him that the cars just passed a roadworthy (just 3 days ago, the certificate was on the dashboard), and he replies that the number plates aren't a roadworthy item??? I asked him why he can't just give us a warning and he replied that the fine is "only" $60 and no points.

The penalty isn't the only reason i'm not happy (after all, it's a tank of fuel the money could go to), but also why wouldn't a safety certificate pick up on that, after all the first thing the officer said was the car wasn't roadworthy with the plates like that.

We'll contact the Dept. Transport on Monday to see what we can do about it. What do you guys think?

By the way we live in Brisbane if that makes any difference.

[plext]

Seems a fair complaint to me. The car is either roadworthy or not one would imagine.

Does seem a rather stiff deal.

[AUXRVIII]

A car can be roadworthy without number plates, so how does illegible plates make a car unroadworthy? Bit harsh though, maybe you should have said something 'bout the plates before driving out the yard?

[XH XR6]

My mate got pulled over for this but they just warned him.

The thing i don't get is i though you were not allowed to repaint them so what are you ment to do

Cheers
Ben

[SpoolMan]

Very harsh, I would write a letter to the compliance office and plead your case as outlined in your post.
lucky your not in Vic they don't haves fines for $60.
Fines start at $113, when booked by Police for a parking fine.

[AUXRVIII]

Originally Posted by XH XR6

My mate got pulled over for this but they just warned him.

The thing i don't get is i though you were not allowed to repaint them so what are you ment to do

Cheers
Ben

Depending on the age of the plate, in some instances you can have the plates changed free of charge.

[Redrum]

Number plates in Victoria, if not readable/visible/mounted correctly, the vehicle can be deemed not road worthy and also the plates can fall into the category of not being mounted in accordance with regulations.

As for vehicles getting road worthys and then not being road worthy, this seems to happen quite often. I know of one cheap finance car sales company who give 100% finance from their own yards to customers as being terrible cultprits in selling people dodgy cars that are supposed to be roadworthy and they aren't on unsuspecting buyers. In these cases I do know discretion was used.

Mark, in regard to penatly notices, there are some we can issue around the $20 range, I think parking offences.

[Dezza]

Mine passed a roadworthy with this


Needless to say, I still replaced it though.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Originally Posted by Redrum

As for vehicles getting road worthys and then not being road worthy, this seems to happen quite often. I know of one cheap finance car sales company who give 100% finance from their own yards to customers as being terrible cultprits in selling people dodgy cars that are supposed to be roadworthy and they aren't on unsuspecting buyers. In these cases I do know discretion was used.

I bought a car like that from a little backyard dealer. Had bald tyres which were supposedly changed from what it had while it sat in the yard as they were stuffed. One of them had a very feelable lump in it. And the brake lights didn't work as the switch was faulty, we played with it after I noticed when the salesman drove it down the yard's driveway. No way it passed a legit roadworthy.

[Spanrz]

You know, I reckon VicRoads should be blamed for that.
Back then when "E's" were out, the paint was very badly prepared, or a bad compound and did the above.

You will notice some rego's starting with the "F", have a different green to them.
They switch to a different compound to figure out how to fix the issue.
I had a rego "FYD-***" It was painted that funny green colour.

In all seriousness, in today's litigious world, someone should / would go VicRoads for make faulty plates. And more to that, they know about it.

[Bobman]

I heard a story some time ago that the chaps from Pentridge added a special lemon coloured additive to the paint mix when making those plates in the late 80s / early 90s ;)

[pauljh74]

Originally Posted by BA Waggn

You know, I reckon VicRoads should be blamed for that.
Back then when "E's" were out, the paint was very badly prepared, or a bad compound and did the above.

You will notice some rego's starting with the "F", have a different green to them.
They switch to a different compound to figure out how to fix the issue.
I had a rego "FYD-***" It was painted that funny green colour.

In all seriousness, in today's litigious world, someone should / would go VicRoads for make faulty plates. And more to that, they know about it.

I thought they got Queensland to make them as they couldn't make them fast enough here with demand for new plates and replacing older faulty plates.

Something like this there should be a warning. If after 7 days the car owner hasn't at least begun proceedings with Vicroads for new plates and the driver is pulled over again, then a fine would be appropriate. The plates shouldn't wear out

[hannem]

Originally Posted by pauljh74

I thought they got Queensland to make them as they couldn't make them fast enough here with demand for new plates and replacing older faulty plates.

Something like this there should be a warning. If after 7 days the car owner hasn't at least begun proceedings with Vicroads for new plates and the driver is pulled over again, then a fine would be appropriate. The plates shouldn't wear out

Yes, the plates that we got from QLD were the FV and FY series. (maybe others as well) They had a different font and you could spot them from a mile away.

Cheers M

[dom_105]

Originally Posted by hannem

Yes, the plates that we got from QLD were the FV and FY series. (maybe others as well) They had a different font and you could spot them from a mile away.

Cheers M

Always wondered why those plates were just a bit different.

[hannem]

Originally Posted by dom_105

Always wondered why those plates were just a bit different.

I think the QLD plates have the numbers first and then the letters.

Is that right? Do any Queenslanders know how that come about.

(maybe the heat is finally getting to you guys, ooooh could not resist)

Cheers M

[cs123]

Originally Posted by ute351

That's right, we just picked up our new car (used), and literally driving it home from his place to ours she got pulled over and booked for above offence!

Is the fine issued to the driver or the owner of the vehicle? The rego might not have been transferred yet if you were driving it home from the dealer.

Pretty poor effort from the cop. I'd follow up with transport dept and also make a complaint to their supervisor.

[ute351]

Originally Posted by Dezza!

Mine passed a roadworthy with this


Needless to say, I still replaced it though.

The thing that bothers me is that my plates aren't anywhere as bad as this, and that both times we looked at the car the number plates didn't stand out as defective as in normal daylight they look fine, but at night (when we were driving it home) the first number "4" is surrouded by the grey shaded marks of the paint rubbed off - the rest of the plate was fine.

I think the officers were looking to defect it for something being an old xe falcon, but as the car is an immaculate one owner example, they couldn't defect it for anything else.

[ute351]

Originally Posted by cs123

Is the fine issued to the driver or the owner of the vehicle? The rego might not have been transferred yet if you were driving it home from the dealer.

Pretty poor effort from the cop. I'd follow up with transport dept and also make a complaint to their supervisor.

No it was a private sale and we had both, the original owner and I, gone down to the Transport Dept. to make an adjustment of the rego (he had pensioner concession, and he agreed to make up the difference) beforehand so the car was already in my name at the time. The fine is in my wifes name because she was the one driving it home from his place.

The old guy I bought the car off is as honest as the day is long, so if the safety certificate was dodgy, he wouldn't have known about it.

[Dezza]

The E-series plates definately were duds as mine shows in the pic above. About a year ago, I replaced the front numberplate as well as it was starting to do the same. It was weird that when I got the car, the rear numberplate was stuffed but the front one looked fine. Another weird thing, my parents have FBW on their EB, and the rear numberplate's faded too, but this time it's the green wearing off. The white is fine.

(Just another note, my bumper looks really wavy in that photo. That's the camera's doing. The bumper doesn't actually look like that. It shows how much I need to clean the car though!)

[BFZ Wagon]

Sounds to me like it was just another typical case of bacon on a revenue hunt!
Qld cops seem to be picking on weird things now hey? Geez. they're becoming just like the ones in NSW! :P They're never around for serious things like speeding etc.. but are for stupid items. Lucky you weren't driving a 'sporty looking' Japanese Import. They LOVE pulling those over. I usually see one pulled over on a daily basis.
Enough from me. ;)

[ThePistonHead]

Road-what??

Don't have to worry about that in Tas :

[ute351]

Originally Posted by All Wheel Drive

Sounds to me like it was just another typical case of bacon on a revenue hunt!

Being an old car, he probably thought it would be an easy target, but in the immaculate condition it is he was hard pressed finding anything wrong with it and the number plate was all he could find after looking at other things like tyres etc

[b2tf]

Seems a bit odd that the condition of the plate is not included in the RWC test - I am almost certain that it is in NSW and that you can fail for it.

[Lightning Strike GT]

I just bought a second hand car with a roadworthy here in Brissy and I really do not know how they issued it - must of been a mate of the previous owner or Stevie Wonder works there
The RW was done on the 02/09 and I bought the car on the 07/09 it had done 31 kms since it was RW'ed.
It had an oil leak - quite big caused a few big drips on the driveway but a simple fix it was the rocker cover gasket.
BUT the best one was the rear brake and reverse lights - these are a major RW compliance as well as oil leaks to an extent.
The brake light were out apart from 1 of the high mount lights - the tail lights worked, the number plate lights did not work, and the reverse lights did not work all up it cost me $50 to repair it all so it is no real biggie but that is not the point.
I rang the workshop that did the RW and said I was not happy and they told me to F off and hung up in my ear
QLD transport are really interested in dealing with these shonks - no really
Document the fault with photos if possible and I take it you still have a copy of the RW - the blue main one written in pen with the AIS no and tester on it
I took photos of the lights and leak and I think they have not worked for a while as the bulb mountings were all rusted and the oil was caked on around the exhaust manifold and there was no hiding it from underneath all non RW items
Get incontact with the compliance section of QT and you will be suprised

UTE351 PM me if you wish and we will see if it done by the same provider mine was done by a place in Darra on Ipswich Rd

[Pinch]

Got a caution when I pulled the boat out of a shed and caught the edge of the plate snapping off the last letter (a bit of rust helped that cause). Got a caution from the copper going on about an 'instrument to deceive' - whatever that means. $32 to replace, but no fine.

I know a few people who have been done with towballs blocking the plate, and some in the bush getting done for dirty ones. I also got cautioned the other day about having a home made plate on my pushbike rack, so now have to stump up $35 for an RTA issue each for both the Subie and the NC as I use them both for carrying pushies. I have also been told I need a light bar hanging off the bikes on the NC too as the copper reckoned the lights on the NC were too hard to see. No problem with that as its a safety issue though and just made up a bar with some LED's off evilbay.

Earlier NSW plates that had the same problem were the "Premier State" logo plates. These had the dodgy reflective paint and were replaced with the "First State" plates which were replaced free of charge. Havent seen any for ages now. Guess NSW being the Premier State fading was a sign of things to come...

You'd think a warning in your case would be warranted though, especially if you just have the purchase/transfer documentation. Have a go on that one I reckon.

[fmc351]

As cars often get RWC without any plates at all, I dont know that they are part of a RWC, Ive never noticed it as an item on the form anyway. I mean the plates are on the car and could be mentioned in an "other" type catch all section, but what for, Dept of Transport wont issue new ones without a RWC, and if you couldnt get a RWC with dud plates, seems like a viscous circle to me.

Transport Department should have noted it when they went out and checked the numbers when transferring it to your name. Its only $20 odd bucks for new plates.

[FTe342]

Originally Posted by Dezza!

The E-series plates definately were duds as mine shows in the pic above. About a year ago, I replaced the front numberplate as well as it was starting to do the same. It was weird that when I got the car, the rear numberplate was stuffed but the front one looked fine. Another weird thing, my parents have FBW on their EB, and the rear numberplate's faded too, but this time it's the green wearing off. The white is fine.

(Just another note, my bumper looks really wavy in that photo. That's the camera's doing. The bumper doesn't actually look like that. It shows how much I need to clean the car though!)

What's at the back of the car that's not at the front? The exhaust! This is what causes the rear plate to fade while the front does not. I think that soon after (a year or two) unleaded first appeared that we saw signs of the rear plate fading but adjustments have apparently been made to the paint composition to overcome the problem.

On the subject of how do some cars get passed as roadworthy, what about all those dunnydoors with faded tail/brake light lenses to the point they are faint pink or near white when the lights come on :

[irlewy86]

Originally Posted by hannem

I think the QLD plates have the numbers first and then the letters.

Is that right? Do any Queenslanders know how that come about.

(maybe the heat is finally getting to you guys, ooooh could not resist)

Cheers M

The post was in reference too Victorian number plates printed by the DoT.

But you are right, Queensland does print the plates with the numbers before the letters. Its done to confuse the mexicans.

Sorry couldn't resist

[castek]

i bought a car from a dealer, and i know for a fact that it would NOT have passed roadworthy.
tail light out, front headlights faded etc etc. i made the guy change them while i was there.
A roadworthy just comes down to how much one is willing to pay these days