CARAVANNERS could find their number's up ... and cop an unexpected $415
fine into the bargain.
An eagle-eyed NSW Highway Patrol officer has dished out the penalty to a
flabbergasted traveller who was told his Crusader caravan's rear number
plate was 30cm too high.
Apparently, it must be no more than 1.3m above the road surface.
And to add insult to injury, hapless caravanner Steve Laws also collected
three demerit points for his misdemeanour.
"What gets up my nose is that the caravan is three years old so I thought
this rule was a new thing ... but it's not," he said.
"I'd been driving all over Australia and nobody said anything until I got
this one policeman."
Members of the 4000-strong Australian Caravan Club expressed astonishment
and have been discussing the issue on their online forum.
'It appears many
new caravans have the plate too high'
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Club publicity officer Lionel Mussell told Caravanning News: "It
appears many new caravans have the plate too high."
Members would be carrying out checks at two upcoming caravanning shows and
would then consider what action to take.
"I agree this rule is not widely known," Mr Mussell said.
"Customers would believe they are being sold a product that complies with
the law.
"In my opinion, the onus should be on the manufacturer to ensure their
caravans comply with regulations.
"I would think the unfortunate caravanner who copped the fine would have a
strong case against the caravan manufacturer."
Caravan Industry Association of Australia declined to comment on Mr Laws'
case, saying: "It seems to be isolated incident."
But the spokesperson pointed out that under Australian Design Rule 62,
registration plates had to be mounted no more than 1300mm from the ground.
"All manufacturers should be aware of this," she said. "There is no
exemption to this rule."
It is understood the association is worried there are serious
non-compliance issues on the market and is looking into the problem.
Meanwhile, the Caravan Council of Australia has been contacted by lawyers
seeking assistance with alleged non-compliant caravans.
"There is no reason why any caravan should not be fully-compliant,"
founder Colin Young said.
He pointed out that the Australian Design Rules clearly set down the
maximum height limit for number plates.
"While we do not provide legal advice, one would think that the caravan
manufacturer is responsible for ensuring 100 percent compliance of their
products," he added.
In a statement posted on its website, Victorian-based Crusader Caravans
said it was in discussions with the Caravan Industry Association of
Australia and relevant state associations regarding the provision for
mounting a number plate to the rear of its caravans.
"They are assisting us to gather further information and clarification on
this issue," the company said.
"Crusader Caravans aims to consistently deliver a professional service to
our customers and takes any caravan compliance issue seriously."
A spot-check by Caravanning News at a Queensland overnight camping
area revealed one-in-five caravan number plates did not conform with the
regulations. Interestingly, the only Crusader staying the night did.
