Fined For Not Displaying Number Plate

[r33gtrv-spec]

Hey I was wondering if there was anyone here who has fought this charge in court, either successfully or unsuccessfully.

I was driving up to Sydney Saturday afternoon and was caught in a blitz at the marulan weigh-in station. As usual, my car was one of many suspicious and/or performance vehicles singled out by police.

The cop was a complete ass in the way he treated me and the whole situation and after being harassed and treated like a criminal who just murdered his mother, i was left holding a $375 fine for not correctly displaying my number plate.

My original r33 GTR front bar does not have any mounting holes for a front plate and I thought that would be enough to exclude me from having to permanently affix the number plate according to sub clause 2(a) of regulation 24 :-

(2) Subclause (1) (a), (b), (d) and (e) do not apply to a vehicle number-plate of a registrable vehicle if:

(a) due to the construction of the vehicle it is not practicable to comply with those paragraphs, and

(b) the number-plate is affixed in a manner that complies so far as practicable with those paragraphs.

I had my number plate affixed inside my front window on the dash, which I know isn't ideal, but is the only option I have without having to alter the original construction of my vehicle by drilling mounting holes in my front bar.

Any help would be much appreciated as I am intending to follow this through to court out of principal.

[Sinista32]

My opinion only. You will not have legal grounds to fight this in court.

Reason being (b)

- everyone has to drill holes. They sell aftermarket number plate holders to affix to the front of the vehicle.

To the law it will be as if your avoiding correct placement.

The relevant paragraph states A and B

Thats just me and I'm not a lawyer...

I have an aftermarket front bar too. My placement is on the left of the vehicle facing forward.

I can not place it in the centre/front as there is nothing to attach to.

[Yld-180Act]

As long as the front and rear number plates are displayed and visible on the front and rear of the car you are fine, they don't have to be in any particular spot on the frot bumper, hence why when ppl have bike racks on the back that cover the number plate they just put a bit of paper with it written on it somewhere visible and don't get pulled up for not displaying their actual number plate. So if you took it to court I imagine you would be able to get rid of the fine

Don't swear by this it's just my impression as I got pulled up for the same thing while getting defected in my old 180 and the cop said it at least needed to be some where visible rather than just not there at all, having said all of this I didn't go to court with it because I had a number of other fines that went along with it that I couldn't fight so all in all this could just be the opinion of someone who has never had a good expirence with cops and not actually be correct

[Sinista32]

How does a speed camera capture the number plate in the cabin?

[045HOW]

You're full of shit.

What do you call this?

If you have some other tranny front bar then its your own fault and you don't have a leg to stand on.

[Trozzle]

Just with regards to what Jazz said above - I don't believe it's actually legal to make your own number plate in the case of having a bike rack that covers it...It must be an ACT government issued plate (they make them for bike racks too)

However, good luck. I'd say you're likely buggered. As Sin said, it needs to comply with both A and B.

If I were you, I'd be happy with the $375 fine. I recently got done for no front number plate, however instead of a fine I received a defect advising I needed to take it to Dickson. I reported my front number plate stolen and surrendered my remaining plate; RTA didn't give a fark.

So far mine has/will cost me:

Initial inspection at Dickson ($55)

Braided brake lines ($160+fitting)

Borrow legal exhaust ($25+ depending on how long I need it)

ENGINEER'S CERTIFICATE ($1046)

Since it's been more than 1 calendar month from initial inspection, I need to pay full $55 for the next one....which the dream boats will undoubtedly fail me on.

Wanna swap your fine for a defect? lol

[Yld-180Act]

Fair enough my mistake

[r33gtrv-spec]

Whos full of shit? ..It's an original r33 GTR series 1, not 3, which is pictured above douche.

Anyways as i was saying its all factory. Front bar has an insert for a plate, which is also too small for the standard issued plate, which i could also argue, but like i said, no mounting holes. I have driven my GTR for 4yrs with no hassles regarding my front plate until now.

No thanks Trozz, been defected a few yrs ago, massive hassles. That was the main reason I stayed calm and collected in front of the cop. Stood my ground before, been defected, pepper sprayed, locked up etc..

Expensive, sore and not fun.

Oh i know how to appease the cops who seem to have control issues.

[r33gtrv-spec]

Just looking for some advice on how to approach this.

I know I can drill holes in the bar and make a steel template to fit under the plate so it sits above the insert,

But my query was, if I have to alter the original construction, shouldn't my car be exempt under Subclause 2(a)?

[sweefu]

The thing is, when it was complied it would have had some sort of numberplate on the front, so needs to retain the number plate in the spot is was complied in.

[045HOW]

Provide pics of where a numberplate is meant to be on your front bar and a real reason why you can't drill some holes in it and be normal?

[Manuel Kasko]

$500 000 lawyer may be able to help you

But to be honest no judge would let this slide

Suck it up pay the fine and learn from It

The law can suck some times

[Mitcho_7]

Completely unrelated, but myself and a carload of guys got pulled up at this same blitz on saturday morning on our way to future music festival. I was driving and passed the RBT, but thank god they didnt decide to let that little beagle sniffer dog come near the car...

[GTRKat]

Oooh bad luck dude, we saw this when we were heading back the opposite way and wondered if it was a rape station

[Melly]

I got pulled into it, passed rbt, passed sniffer dog and passed defect check. One of the guys from here got a fine for a bald tyre (don't know how bald).

I don't think you have much of a chance as they will say everyone else manages to get their number plate on... Good luck tho... I drilled holes to get mine on, bent the edges of the plate a little so it fits and nobody has had any issues, same with my rear plate.

[Amaru]

(a) due to the construction of the vehicle it is not practicable to comply with those paragraphs, and

(b) the number-plate is affixed in a manner that complies so far as practicable with those paragraphs.

Read the rules in their entirety mate, you won't be exempted because it only applies to vehicles where it is not practicable to comply with the rules. Considering 99.9% of R33 GTR owners have successfully mounted a front number plate by drilling holes/using some other sort of mount, what makes your R33 GTR individually unique that you cannot do the same?

Suck it up, pay the fine and follow the rules like everyone else has to.

[045HOW]

Read the rules in their entirety mate, you won't be exempted because it only applies to vehicles where it is not practicable to comply with the rules. Considering 99.9% of R33 GTR owners have successfully mounted a front number plate by drilling holes/using some other sort of mount, what makes your R33 GTR individually unique that you cannot do the same?

Suck it up, pay the fine and follow the rules like everyone else has to.

Shock-Horror

[S T A R 3 3]

I'd play dumb and claim that I wasn't confident to drill it myself because I didn't know if there were anything behind the bumper that I could drill into and damage.

THAT and the damage that it may cause the paint would may not be covered under warranty of tje new paint job.

Worked for the missus - but it was the truth.

[Hadouken]

How about you get a Cusco relocation bracket. And the series 1, as mine, does have a special bracket to mount the license plate on the front centre of the car.

Or as I said invest in a relocation bracket which puts it just to the left of the mouth.

[Trozzle]

Give Karl's idea a go, otherwise yeah if a letter of dispute asking really nicely to be let off doesn't work - pay the fine. Or ask for an extension, and THEN pay the fine. lol