[SA] Motorists to now receive fines for all defects

[GAMBLR]

SA motorists slugged for minor car defects | Adelaide Now

Long story short, SA motorists are now subject to being fined $120 for minor defects and $250 for major defects, on top of the fee for clearing the defect notice.

So a blown taillight, going from costing $5 at the local auto parts store will cost $5 + $120 fine + $26 defect clearance = $151.

A Regency defect now costs $250 fine + $130 first inspection + $70 subsequent inspection = $450. Fair? I don't think so.

This is another feeble attempt at a cash grab by the goverment. In all honesty, do the Police really have nothing better to do? There's drugs, theft, vandilism, planking, hell even hoon driving to focus energy, time and effort on. Yet they choose to make them fine morotists for small ticket items, and with outlandishly large fines.

Maybe they should look at their VE fleet a lot more closely before handing fines out to the general public. Some of their cars aren't "roadworthy" according to these laws.

BTW, I realise that minor defects do serve a purpose; lights should all work, tyres should have decent tread etc. The argument here is the addition of these ridiculous fines by ignorant politicians in a feeble attempt to demonstrate they are retaining some control of the situation and distract us from the real problems. Read, Adelaide trams..

[NVMYVT]

what a crock of shit,,, "it's about getting bad cars off the road and not about revenue raising...."
bullshit, thats why they say how muchREVENUE they intend to see within the first 3 years of implementing the new fines

they'll have to change all the border welcoming signs,,
Welcome to SA home of revenue raising,
sell drugs, murder and rape no worries,,,but so help you god if you've got a blown tail light

[MathoSSV]

Maybe they should look at their VE fleet a lot more closely before handing fines out to the general public. Some of their cars aren't "roadworthy" according to these laws.

Just as a matter of interest, im sure you are correct, but what is unroadworthy about the police VE vehicles?

[minux]

Just curious, how is it a cash grab to keep safe cars on the road? It may prevent these morons illegally lowering cars etc. Wish they could do it here. Sick of seeing morons going around corners with the arse ends bouncing around like it is on a trampoline.

Edit:

The argument here is the addition of these ridiculous fines by ignorant politicians in a feeble attempt to demonstrate they are retaining some control of the situation and distract us from the real problems. Read, Adelaide trams..

Or perhaps they are sick to death of the same tools getting a defect cleared and redoing the same mods they were defected for. I could find a myriad of threads on this site that ask how to "get something passed at regency then going to put it all back when it is cleared"

So perhaps they are sick to death of wasting time on the same people over and over again.

[monkeys437]

Just curious, how is it a cash grab to keep safe cars on the road? It may prevent these morons illegally lowering cars etc. Wish they could do it here. Sick of seeing morons going around corners with the arse ends bouncing around like it is on a trampoline.

My car is illegally low(by 3-5mm) and it doesn't bounce around like a trampoline. In fact its as stiff as a teenager on Prom night.

[minux]

So obviously knowing it is illegal you wont care when you are defected right?

[walesy]

if its defectable then its gunna get done, but the fact they add a fine on top now isnt necissary

[minux]

if its defectable then its gunna get done, but the fact they add a fine on top now isnt necissary

As I mentioned int he chatbox. It should be strike 1 defect. Same defect for strike 2 = defect and fine.

At least it would stop the tools who just replace everything after a defect is cleared.

[walesy]

yeah that would be better, i raised my car up a bit not only for the fact it was defectable but i got over having a stupidly low car

[SIG-054]

I suppose the SA Government have to pay for the RAH Hospital budget blow out and the Adelaide Oval redevelopment somehow.. (and even Keven Foley's legal fees too i suspect)

[dijm8]

which is now why i leave my car at Fe2 height, after years of gettin in trouble with my previous cars i got sick of it, will not lower anymore, now to quiet down that exhaust hmm....

its abit insane if they fine you for a blown light bulb, i know some of the new cars tell you when ther is one blown but some of the older 1's? how are they suppose to know if its blown? surely they can give a warning out

[wraith]

Come to Queensland where if it's defectable they can call it unroadworthy and impound it under hoon law.

[nathanVY]

The fine is just ridiculous.. I think we already have that in vic though.

[Grennan]

As I mentioned int he chatbox. It should be strike 1 defect. Same defect for strike 2 = defect and fine.

At least it would stop the tools who just replace everything after a defect is cleared.

Id agree with this.

In its current state its a load of horse shit.

Especially when you look at how defects are given. The copper on the scene is not an accredited road worthiness inspector, ive been defected once in my life and the shit they got me for, was just pure nonsense (apart from the to low part), still costs me money to go and get it ticked off.

Essentially, its up to you to prove what he has said it wrong. So, if coppers are willy nilly handing out defects for seat belts not retracting when they are clearly twisted (one of the things on my defect notice) and people are getting stung each time that occurs, well... CHING CHING.

[Trayner]

The fine is just ridiculous.. I think we already have that in vic though.

yeh we do, but its only whern you get a major defect and its up to the cop if he wants to give you the fine and canary or just the canary

[Trayner]

which is now why i leave my car at Fe2 height, after years of gettin in trouble with my previous cars i got sick of it, will not lower anymore, now to quiet down that exhaust hmm....

yeh thats why my car is at fe2 height now too . got pulled over yesterday and the coppers checked every inch and it passed easy as .

[nathanVY]

yeh thats why my car is at fe2 height now too . got pulled over yesterday and the coppers checked every inch and it passed easy as .

Nice. I read this... but still want to put mine on SSL all round

[Verynice]

getting a bit beyond a joke now...

[Dr HaxZaw]

lol someone please explain to me what your complaining about?? if you get defected you get a fine so i dont see how that is a problem because then you will have a reason to avoid getting defected

or you could harden up and move to nsw where you have to get the car inspected every year... also pretty sure a minor defect comes with an $80 fine depending on how bad it is
seriously not every road law is brought in solely for revenue raising... although the fact that the law will either reduce costs due to less defects to process or make more money off the same number of defects is a bonus for the politicians

[Verynice]

less defects????????????? cops can (and are forced to) defect cars to fill their QUOTA. If everyone is driving around in A1 condition cars, they will just find something else to pick on such as the slightest bit of oil on your sump.

[dijm8]

lol someone please explain to me what your complaining about?? if you get defected you get a fine so i dont see how that is a problem because then you will have a reason to avoid getting defected

or you could harden up and move to nsw where you have to get the car inspected every year... also pretty sure a minor defect comes with an $80 fine depending on how bad it is
seriously not every road law is brought in solely for revenue raising... although the fact that the law will either reduce costs due to less defects to process or make more money off the same number of defects is a bonus for the politicians

where not so much complaining we all know the risk when we modify our cars, its just they will find anything no matter what..even if it is standard they will find something just to get ther money,

it would also be better if the cops know the rules..i knw a couple yrs back every time i got pulled over there ''standard height'' was always different 1 cop said it was fine, pulled over again soon after ohh no thats way too low.. you just cant ###n win

[Grennan]

where not so much complaining we all know the risk when we modify our cars, its just they will find anything no matter what..even if it is standard they will find something just to get ther money,

it would also be better if the cops know the rules..i knw a couple yrs back every time i got pulled over there ''standard height'' was always different 1 cop said it was fine, pulled over again soon after ohh no thats way too low.. you just cant ###n win

Exactly the point I made I believe in another thread, half the time they dont know what is actually a defect. You are deemed guilty and its up to you to prove your innocence. Incurring the cost of the officers mistake.

Also, lets be perfectly honest. This is not about getting unsafe cars off the roads. Cars that spit oil, drip coolant and ones that have never seen a hoist in its life. Its about getting cars that are to low or to loud off the road for a few weeks and making some money off it.

Im doing a lot of suspension work in the next few weeks, fixing everything and anything that looks like its old. I guarantee you its going to be defectable, but Id bet my bottom dollar itll be safer than 90% of the shit on our roads.

[Verynice]

What an excellent society i am proud to live in.

[wraith]

I think in QLD any way you have to get some one authorised from traffic branch to go over the vehicle. Heck he even told me the "standard" 2.5 inch exhaust was a defect because the emissions were changed by upping the pipe size and having 1 less resonator which of coursed equalled defectable.

[GAMBLR]

I'm all for removing dangerous cars from the road.

But Minux, when it comes to nitty gritty things like a blown lightbulb, having a huge ticket price on it doesn't seem a bit rash? Sorry, but the additional fine seems excessive to me. Maybe $50 fine or something, but a $5 bulb is going to end up costing close to the $200 mark when you're caught, and you 'may' have no idea it's out.
Yes, get the dangerous bombs off the road. But that's it, they seem to target anything modified, rather than vehicles that do pose a threat. I remember being defected, and sitting next to me was a hatch with its rear end caved in. They looked and did nothing. Thats the sort of thing that needs to change.

And yes, the multiple defects for the same thing is showing idiots don't learn. I fully support a graduated defect/fine scheme, but not a huge fine for something like a blown taillight for a first offence.

MathoSSV, not sure about your area but some local patrol cars are sitting ridiculously low, claimed due to the 'extra equipment' they have to lug around, and the lights, sirens, ariels etc. (What we've been told by the officers).
I've spoken to people who've been chatted for their car being too low on standard suspension because of an LPG tank, and they have to install heavier duty springs to raise it. The law is, if a permanent addition is made to the car, you have to compensate for the weight. Patrol cars with FE2 and heavy equipment are too low and don't have to conform to this law.
And I see a regular couple patrol cars with blown taillights and number plate lights... double standards IMO.