[SA] Motorists to now receive fines for all defects

[Calaber]

I have a message for Daron.

Do you think defects are only issued in South Australia? Every state has its own traffic regs and defects are covered under every one of them. Police have been issuing defects throughout Australia for many years - it isn't anything new and it certainly isn't exclusive to South Australia. You like to slag off that "interstaters" don't live in SA, therefore implying they have no idea what it's like. Have you ever lived outside SA to experience what it's like in other states, before condemning interstaters and whinging that SA is the worst of the lot?

If you haven't already done so, give NSW a go to find out how tough it can be owning a seriously modified car. The RTA in this State has become so infected with its own self importance that it is prepared to install hundreds of additional speed cameras, despite a new Government that has said it needs to be convinced that they are genuinely safety related and not just revenue cash-registers. Our registration inspection standards have been the harshest in Australia for many years. Cars that have been able to drive around in Adelaide would never have passed their inspection here - they would have been put off the road.

 

[Tatiana]

I live in SA, have been driving both modified and stock cars all my life, my 3 kids (all adults now) all own cars, both boys have mildly modified cars yet none of us have been defected.

Yes the boys have been pulled over, my eldest many times as he is on the road a fair bit, but always been polite and non agressive or argumentative. Defects have been pointed out and told to be fixed but no defect notices. I was pulled over a year ago by a bike cop with a very bad attitude. Seemed like he was pushing for a fight but I never gave him one. He pointed out a few illegal mods and I kept saying I was sorry and would get them fixed. In the end he left without defecting me.

Personally I think those who hang around in groups/clubs are noticed - those of you sitting at K-Mart Anzac Highway weekend after weekend, you do get noticed. Local patrols take note of the cars more than likely and therefore stop you more often. Also how many of you get a bit of attitude when pulled over? Do this and you can guarantee a fine. A while back it was reported that cars with club stickers would be watched, so remove them.

Play by the rules and don't fight them or attract attention to yourself.

 

[minux]

I have a message for Daron.

Do you think defects are only issued in South Australia? Every state has its own traffic regs and defects are covered under every one of them. Police have been issuing defects throughout Australia for many years - it isn't anything new and it certainly isn't exclusive to South Australia. You like to slag off that "interstaters" don't live in SA, therefore implying they have no idea what it's like. Have you ever lived outside SA to experience what it's like in other states, before condemning interstaters and whinging that SA is the worst of the lot?

If you haven't already done so, give NSW a go to find out how tough it can be owning a seriously modified car. The RTA in this State has become so infected with its own self importance that it is prepared to install hundreds of additional speed cameras, despite a new Government that has said it needs to be convinced that they are genuinely safety related and not just revenue cash-registers. Our registration inspection standards have been the harshest in Australia for many years. Cars that have been able to drive around in Adelaide would never have passed their inspection here - they would have been put off the road.

Just a little off topic. Talking to the national workshop manager(for a company I contract to) today about truck defects. the fleet of 265 trucks in question has only ever received one vehicle defect in SA (cant go back further for business reasons). Now consider that 40% of freight over the past 3 years travels east/west/east that isnt bad. NSW defects in the last 3 months have totalled 23 lol. He asked why I was interested so I told him. The response I got made me chuckle. In his exact words (remember this is someone who lives in SA)

"Most of the people who whinge about defects are the lids you see cutting laps and doing loops around certain drives. They also usually have studpily low cars or really loud cars. I have never had a defect while driving my Charger around which is pretty modified. My suggestion would be to stop attracting attention and to stop being a clown, as far as I know from what we see based on the truck fleet, SA is one of the softest on defecting vehicles"

Pasted directly from an email.

I guess SA really do have it bad.

 

[Julie]

Seriously, why all the bitching and moaning? Just don't drive defective vehicles. Pretty bloody simple. Sheesh people go out of their way and spend heaps of money making their vehicles defective then whinge when they get pinged. Maybe they ought to start handing out fines for drivers with birth defects too, far too many retards behind the wheel.

 

[kuzman89]

I drove to adelaide a few months ago. Was pulled over 4 times in the space of a week. My car doesn't stand out, stock height, genuine holden rims, mild engine work (only sounds loud if you boot it), I wasn't fined but being on my p's at the time was all it took. Compared to Victoria, i've been pulled over once for a random breatho in my 4 years of driving.

 

[scouser king]

just come over to the west,all most anything goes:rofl2:

 

[morphix]

I'm certainly glad i live in NSW.

I atleast once a week or twice a week check my taillights and always notice if my headlights are duller than normal and change it as soon as possible.

My old Hyundai Accent for 2 days had a massive hole in the exhaust, this being from idiot skakeboarders putting a 'grind rail' in the middle of the road at 11PM at night, didn't see it till it was already under the car.

Now, that exhaust would have been defectable due to the massive amounts of noise it let out, but i quickly went to local supercheap to atleast get a muffler bandage until i could get it replaced.

Getting stung for a blown lightbulb is stupid, multiple blown is failure on the owners part and, too low, etc the law makes sense for.

As others, it seems best that this law be, if its major then its a fine, if its a minor, you get 1 chance, then the 2nd time is a fine.

 

[RazzaCaine]

i think the real problem with defects in SA is that a lot of the time its down to the cops "disgression" and they are allowed to defect you if they SUSPECT your car is too loud or too low. the problem is that if your car is actually legal and roadworthy and you get defected for something that shouldnt be defected, you still have to pay to prove that you are right. if in cases like this you were able to pop to your local police station within 24hrs and prove your car is roadworthy then you should be let of the fine. i dont think you should get fines for minor things like blown bulbs but should, as been mentioned before, be given a 1st time warning and if you are caught again then take the fine on the chin.

i myself have never received a defect, ive had cops try in the past but im always polite and let them get on with their job so they treat me with respect because i treat them with respect. ive even had a few nice chats with cops before when theyve been carrying out RBT.

in fact, i once bought a defected vehicle, had all the defects fixed and had it booked in for a regency inspection. i needed to use the car for work but because the car was defected i strictly wasnt allow to use it on the road. however i phoned regency and went to my local police station, explained that i needed my car for work, showed them receipts for all the work addressing the defects and gave them the details for my booked regency appointment and they gave me written permission to use my defected car for work.

i got pulled over 3 times in the 2 weeks i was using the car like this and each time i made sure i had all my paperwork and receipts in the glovebox and was polite to cops and they let me go each time. one even commented that it made a change to see a young fella driving a sports car sensibly (at the time i was 17 and driving a non-turbo rx7) as he reckoned 99% of sport car drivers drive like idiots.

when i took the car to regency for the inspection and it failed i actually thanked the inspector for failing my car because it was for the front brake lines almost being snapped and the rear brake discs warped and pads only had minimum legal life left. the inspector effectively saved my life.

i have no problems with cops as they are just doing their job, however the government are being a bit dumb with how they are going about the situation. they should change the law so that only certified traffic police can defect cars and that only major defects or multiple minor defects result in a fine. being fined for a blown globe is unfair.

really, australia as a whole should employ RWC like the UK's MOT or like most european countries. i think its absolutely ludicrous how only some states have RWC.

 

[doms1]

I live in SA, have been driving both modified and stock cars all my life, my 3 kids (all adults now) all own cars, both boys have mildly modified cars yet none of us have been defected.

Yes the boys have been pulled over, my eldest many times as he is on the road a fair bit, but always been polite and non agressive or argumentative. Defects have been pointed out and told to be fixed but no defect notices. I was pulled over a year ago by a bike cop with a very bad attitude. Seemed like he was pushing for a fight but I never gave him one. He pointed out a few illegal mods and I kept saying I was sorry and would get them fixed. In the end he left without defecting me.

Personally I think those who hang around in groups/clubs are noticed - those of you sitting at K-Mart Anzac Highway weekend after weekend, you do get noticed. Local patrols take note of the cars more than likely and therefore stop you more often. Also how many of you get a bit of attitude when pulled over? Do this and you can guarantee a fine. A while back it was reported that cars with club stickers would be watched, so remove them.

Play by the rules and don't fight them or attract attention to yourself.

So just because a bunch of like minded individuals get together regulary they are attracting attention to get hassled??You forget alot of these guys are actually mates and they like to catch up on the weekends.

 

[imnothereanymore]

i think everyones forgetting the piont here im sa isnt talking about lowered or illegal mods we are talking about if simple things like a blown globe is now a large fine+ repairs
having a towball on ya car without a trailer is a fine
lots of minor things = $300+ in dollars
im all for defecting cut springs and crap cars just silly fining mums and dads and us for minor silly thingsmaking hundreds bux