Unfair Yellow Sticker, infringments etc

[Eukanuba]

best be careful what you say to the popo on the side of the road, or they could smash your phone - like they did to resist...

[thro]

wrt cf being illegal - technically (i believe, someone correct me if they know otherwise), any component on your vehicle that has not been explicitly tested to comply with the ADRs and has an approval is illegal.

So, if your CF bonnet has not been tested to comply (as is the case with virtually any aftermarket part, because it's expensive) - it's not automatically *legal*.

You can probably get a permit for it, if you go over the pits and get it inspected - but given thats a day of your time, and extra money for a modification permit - it's not worth it until you get stickered.

Also - all a cop has to say is "this permit was from 6 months ago, i reckon you've changed stuff since then" and blahblah... back to the pits you go....


2c.

[Pkunk]

stock fender eliminator?

its um

backwards day or something

[=Stevo=]

a carbon fibre bonnet is illegal on car not just because of its tendency to 'snap' instead of crumple... causing a dangerous edge, but also because it changes the crash characteristics of the car from that it was originally tested with...

if cf comes from the factory and is passed and meets ADR's then it is not illegal though

[sathid]

its um

backwards day or something

.neht nodnoL ot ffo m'I

[Lord Farquaad]

.eseehc dlo ekil sllems nodnoL

[Mr M00se]

I belive that in terms of leds for the numberplate, they are perfectly legal IF they are white AND they cant be seen directly from behind the vehicle, they must illuminate the plate via reflection, or be mounted in such a way that you cannot see the light from behind without it being reflected off something

[Barfrangipani]

?sdrawkcaB

[Kingy]

Just wondering with the modern world are you able to use some technology to help your case. So for example if you have stock parts and the police want to ping a yellow sticker can you take a photo of the bike with officer present showing the "offending" part... ? Or are you within your rights to get them to write in detail what is wrong with the bike so you can catch out cr@p like LEDs are illegal, etc.. I can't see why you could not do this?

Therefore you could use this evidence that you were unfairly given a yellow sticker and should be compensated for $ and time that you had to go over the pits.

The problem I see is that you rock up to the pits and everything on the bike is stock, but there is nothing to say you have not taken all the offending pieces off (which everyone does if they do have illegal/doubtful mods) and you go across the pits yelling you got an unfair sticker... no proof.. no case...

My main concern would be what sort of treatment would you get if you asked Mr Plod to sign this bit of paper quoting what you have told me is wrong with the bike (or car) or stand in the photo please sir... or at a minimum make sure everythign they say is on the infridgement notice, maybe even get them to write part no's or something... you never know going on the front foot (but politely) might call their bluff and if they see you are informed and not just going to bend over and take one for the team they become a bit more accountable...

As for the guy with the broken car window... sorry buddy but I side with the police on this one.. they cannot believe every story that "it just happened" as 99% of the time that is just BS.. is just unfortunate if it truly was the case....

[out_in_front]

a carbon fibre bonnet is illegal on car not just because of its tendency to 'snap' instead of crumple... causing a dangerous edge, but also because it changes the crash characteristics of the car from that it was originally tested with...

if cf comes from the factory and is passed and meets ADR's then it is not illegal though

Yes but that is quite a bit different to heel guards on a bike - as it will not make any difference in a crash (actually I doubt any modifications short of a bouncy castle will make a difference). As I said people need to look through the rules with a common sense approach. It's a bit like saying a rider of this bike must wear 'xyz' gear because thats what the crash test dummy was wearing, and that is what determined the crash rating of this motorcycle (if there was such thing).

Do they actually crash test bikes? is there any point if they did?

I can imagine two testers talking -
TESTER 1 - "theres another dead one",
TESTER 2 - maybe if we made them change the heel guards the bloke wont break his ankles though"
TESTER 1 - "I agree get them to mod that and we will pass it"

[Aphex]

¿ezeilp woan meit sdrawrof eb nac ti zI

[The Saint]

.neht nodnoL ot ffo m'I

?neeuq eht ees oT

[Kryzaach]

Regardless of how compliant or uncompliant you are, the stickering is based on the officers OPINION. The officer can feel that something is unsafe and produce a work order for it to be looked at by someone qualified. They don't need to know anything about the vehicle, apart from general guidelines. If you dispute it, it essentially comes down to you attempting to prove to a third party, that you knew the officers intentions, and that they were malicious. So it becomes your word against theirs, and they normally have a witness(in the from of their partner) to back up their reasoning. It's unlikely that your word will be taken over theirs, because:

A. You are trying to prove what the officer was thinking at the time
B. They have "nothing to gain" from stickering you except in a general populace safety sense

I used to drive an imported 300zx, and I was pulled over several times a week on average. In the 2 years I owned it, I received 3 yellow stickers, every single one of them because of the headlights. I was never pulled over for doing anything illegal, just random encounters. When the car was lowered, it underwent compliance testing and was passed. Despite this, it was still deemed "unsafe" on those 3 occasions. I learned to live with it, if you start arguing, further things seem to be noticed. The first time I was pulled over, I argued, saying the car was ok, as it had been passed. The officers response was to point out that my foglights were wired in with my headlights(stock on '96 model) and that due to this I had to pay a fine for operating a vehicle with my foglights on. After that I just shut up.

Bottom line is, even if the vehicle is as perfect as can be, the officer can still think "this dickhead was in the wrong place at the wrong time/is a tosser/looks funny/couldn't bust him for what i think he's been up to" and sticker you, all the while claiming "ooh, that looks a bit dangerous better get it checked" and there is no way you can prove it other than by establishing a better character before the court, than that of the police officer. Good luck with that.....

[out_in_front]

Kryzaach - thats the whole point, people are doing the right thing and getting pulled over and issued with work orders that cost them money and time (which is also money) for not commiting an offence. If my car got stickered it would cost - the pit fee and half a days pay - that is probably 3-400 at a minimum for me right there. all because some bloke has the authority without having any proper training to assume that my car needs work, regardless of whether it does or not.

If that type of crap happens to me I would be sending letters to senior police officers demanding compensation for inspections and my time (BTW this worked for a bloke I know when it came to having to go to Perth to view his multinova picture). Mention things like court, lawyers and more money and they are likely to pay out.

[Lolly]

Just had a call from my buddy - he and four other peeps got done earlier today for - guess what - illegal mudgard / rear fenders. They were riding as part of a group - and were all pulled over. Buddy in question, raised the point with the Officer that his own mudguard on his police bike did not meet the 45 degree critiria - but the Officer said that his bike came standard that way.

I shall be nervous riding my bike out and about. I hacked my fender off (neatly of course ) so what is to come of all this!?!

[TurboR1]

Thanks Simon... I am in the process of taking action against the officer in question... just doing some back ground research first...

I'll be in touch as I may need some help with this one...

[Xuaxace]

but the Officer said that his bike came standard that

Lol so did turbor1 cagiva.

[House]

Regardless of how compliant or uncompliant you are, the stickering is based on the officers OPINION. The officer can feel that something is unsafe and produce a work order for it to be looked at by someone qualified. They don't need to know anything about the vehicle, apart from general guidelines. If you dispute it, it essentially comes down to you attempting to prove to a third party, that you knew the officers intentions, and that they were malicious. So it becomes your word against theirs, and they normally have a witness(in the from of their partner) to back up their reasoning.

So carry a printout of the relevant ADRs and state laws (preferably certified as a "true and correct" copy by a senior police officer or justice of the peace - you can get identity document copies certified like that so maybe other documents like ADRs as well?) as well as a camera (helmet cam would be excellent). Take some happy snaps of the nice officers and what they claim is wrong, offer to let them read the relevant documents.

If you still get stickered for something legal after that, then you'd probably have pretty solid grounds to get something done about it.

[Hornet]

Is it possible to get together enough people that have been wrongly "Yellowed" for the fender 45 degree thing and start a class action?
Loss of time, money, stress of getting a vehicle over the pits?

[Spock]

I hacked my fender off (neatly of course )

Oh did you now? I seem to recall spending a fair bit of time re-engineering that rear mudguard so that it retains a (relocated) numberplate light and still has that 'factory' look about it. "Hacked off" indeed!

But yes, I am sure Mr Plod would still use the mudguard as an excuse to dish out a yellow sticker.

Fortunately it is easy enough to temporarily fit an extension to the mudguard so that it passes the pits if worst comes to worst.

Hopefully this 'blitz' on mudguards will be short-lived.