[anotherforumuser]

This is a true story, happened today. Can anyone top this one? 

[amgsl55]

This is a true story, happened today. Can anyone top this one? 

Perhaps he was defected for actually having a seat like that!

[Steve355F1]

Probably more for the tasteless seat cover than the tear...

Can't top that, but I got a fine at 8am last Boxing Day near Kersbrook for "improper use of a trade plate".
This was before I had my 355 fully registered - a good mate of mine lent me a trade plate for a couple of days so I could give the car a run (it hadn't been driven for a while).
Even though the copper admitted "there's nothing wrong with your driving" ie. not breaking any speed limits, etc. he informed me that
"There are very strict rules for the use of a trade plate, which don't include what you are doing."
When I explained I had no idea that it was technically illegal to affix a trade plate to a car and go for a drive and was happy to drive straight home, lesson learned, he said
"Yeah almost everyone doesn't know that, but don't worry, it's only a small fine. Just pay it and forget about it"... And continued to write out the ticket.

At that point I realised he must have had a really shit Christmas, and told him so, which didn't go down all that well...

[dkabab]

Probably more for the tasteless seat cover than the tear...

Can't top that, but I got a fine at 8am last Boxing Day near Kersbrook for "improper use of a trade plate".
This was before I had my 355 fully registered - a good mate of mine had leant me a trade plate for a couple of days so I could give the car a run (it hadn't been driven for a while).
Even though the copper admitted "there's nothing wrong with your driving" ie. not breaking any speed limits, etc. he informed me that
"There are very strict rules for the use of a trade plate, which don't include what you are doing."
When I explained I had no idea that it was technically illegal to affix a trade plate to a car and go for a drive and was happy to drive straight home, lesson learned, he said
"Yeah almost everyone doesn't know that, but don't worry, it's only a small fine. Just pay it and forget about it"... And continued to write out the ticket.

At that point I realised he must have had a really shit Christmas, and told him so, which didn't go down all that well...

yep the fine was justified and thats that..... but what i find laughable is the fact he let you drive home with the plate, therefor contradicting the fine...

[Steve355F1]

yep the fine was justified and thats that..... but what i find laughable is the fact he let you drive home with the plate, therefor contradicting the fine...

Fair enough. If it's that black and white I would have copped it without complaint.
But, a couple of points. I had driven the car in two other states (VIC and QLD) on a trade plate several times. On all occasions the owner of the trade plate said "just drive sensibly and you'll be fine"

The owner of the SA trade plate said the same thing. How would I, as a normal everyday driver (ie. not in the trade), know that what I was doing was not technically legal? How many normal drivers if told by the owner of a trade plate that they could affix it to their car and go for a sensible drive would know that technically they would be breaking the law?

I also thought that the police could not randomly pull you over unless you were actually doing something wrong - with the obvious exception of an RBT station.
Given that on this occasion the cop admitted I was doing nothing wrong (I was not speeding or driving like an idiot), on what legal basis did he pull me over? At first when I was pulled over I thought the plate must have fallen off. When I saw it was still there I was genuinely confused.

The final confirmation that I had just struck a Knob on a bad day was that on the way home I found myself next to and then in front of a different police car for at least five minutes before they turned off and carried on with real police work and left me alone...

The bottom line is, why didn't he give me a warning and send me home?
Because I was driving a Ferrari? If I was driving an old Camry would I have even been pulled over?
Of course not.

[360c]

It's potentially a lot more serious than you may think. As you were not legally allowed to use the trade plate, in the event of an accident and injury there is no insurance coverage. That's the real issue and the Cop was wrong in letting you drive home on the trade plate.

The owner of the trade plate should have known; but in my experience many either don't or ignore it. He could also have his trade plate withdrawn over improper use.

[Steve355F1]

It's potentially a lot more serious than you may think. As you were not legally allowed to use the trade plate, in the event of an accident and injury there is no insurance coverage. That's the real issue and the Cop was wrong in letting you drive home on the trade plate.

The owner of the trade plate should have known; but in my experience many either don't or ignore it. He could also have his trade plate withdrawn over improper use.

Ok then. If my story is a lesson to others then it has been worth re-counting.
Because there is no doubt that this not common knowledge among those not in the trade.
Every day I see many cars cruising around on trade plates, and I'd bet that most of them are not "technically" doing it legally.

[Steve355F1]

The other thing I wonder is that one of the acceptable reasons for driving with a trade plate is;
"on-road testing of a motor vehicle in the course of repairs or servicing or the making of alterations or additions to the vehicle".
Given that my car had recently had significant work done for compliance purposes, could I have argued that I was "testing" it in accordance with this part of the law?

I did explain this fact to the cop, but his attitude was "it's only a small fine. Just pay it".

[app]

On a similar topic, I was watching Highway Patrol tonight.

In one of the situations, a cop caught a bloke driving in the opposite doing 101 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.  The cop then clicked the laser again to see if he could catch the person going any faster, the laser reading then showed 83 km/h.

Anyway, the cop did a U turn and pulled him over.  Cop told the bloke he was doing 101 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, the bloke asked if he could see the reading of him doing 101 km/h because he didn't believe it, the cop said he couldn't see it because that was an earlier reading, it only shows the last reading, in this case 83 km/h.

The cop proceeded to book the guy for doing 101 km/h and impounded his car as he was driving more than 45 km/h over the speed limit.  The bloke protested saying that he should be booked at 83 km/h, meaning his car wouldn't have been impounded.

I don't get that at all.  If the bloke challenged that in court, what grounds would the cops have to prove he was doing 101 km/h when all they have is a reading of him doing 83 km/h, besides their word?

[anotherforumuser]

On a similar topic, I was watching Highway Patrol tonight.

In one of the situations, a cop caught a bloke driving in the opposite doing 101 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.  The cop then clicked the laser again to see if he could catch the person going any faster, the laser reading then showed 83 km/h.

Anyway, the cop did a U turn and pulled him over.  Cop told the bloke he was doing 101 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, the bloke asked if he could see the reading of him doing 101 km/h because he didn't believe it, the cop said he couldn't see it because that was an earlier reading, it only shows the last reading, in this case 83 km/h.

The cop proceeded to book the guy for doing 101 km/h and impounded his car as he was driving more than 45 km/h over the speed limit.  The bloke protested saying that he should be booked at 83 km/h, meaning his car wouldn't have been impounded.

I don't get that at all.  If the bloke challenged that in court, what grounds would the cops have to prove he was doing 101 km/h when all they have is a reading of him doing 83 km/h, besides their word?

The Cop would normally lose that in court and the driver would get off but in this case the cop would have video evidence showing that he recorded the 101kmh.

This basic outline of trade plate laws are still pretty current. I used a trade plate last Sunday to take one of my cars to a show which is legal as shown on this list. Ive also been pulled over after hours riding a motorcycle bought that evening while using a trade plate. The cop that pulled me over didnt know the laws and tried to book me. He ended up getting a Highway patrol cop in who apologized for the other ditz not knowing the law and wasting an hour of my time arguing with me on the side of Anzac Highway.

When a trade plate can be used in SA.

The Regulations of the Motor Vehicles Act 1959 detail the purposes for which a trade plate may be used.

a) Delivery of a motor vehicle from premises of the manufacturer or distributor of the vehicle to business premises of a motor vehicle dealer or auctioneer.

B) Delivery of a motor vehicle from premises of the manufacturer of the vehicle to a place for storage or to business premises of the distributor of the vehicle.

c) Relocation of a motor vehicle

(i) between different business premises of a motor vehicle dealer or auctioneer; or
(ii) between business premises of different motor vehicle dealers or auctioneers.

d) Demonstration to a prospective purchaser of a motor vehicle of the on-road performance of the vehicle

(i) being a demonstration in respect of which the vendor of the vehicle does not receive any monetary consideration; and
(ii) in the case of a commercial motor vehicle that is to carry a load during a demonstration, provided that

(A) the demonstration consists of not more than two separate journeys by the same prospective purchaser and each journey is completed within three days; and
(B) during the demonstration the vehicle is used only within the State.

e) Demonstration to a prospective purchaser of a bus of the on-road performance of the bus, being a demonstration

(i) in respect of which the vendor of the bus does not receive any monetary consideration; and
(ii) during which no passengers other than the prospective purchaser and any person advising the prospective purchaser in relation to the purchase of the bus are carried in the bus.

f) On-road testing of a motor vehicle prior to delivery of the vehicle to a purchaser of the vehicle.

g) Delivery of a motor vehicle sold by a motor vehicle dealer or auctioneer to a place nominated by the purchaser of the vehicle (whether within or outside the State).

h) In the case of a motor vehicle that

(i) is sold by a motor vehicle dealer who is not authorised under section 7 of the Act to register vehicles sold by the dealer; and

(ii) is delivered to the purchaser on a day on which, or at a time of day at which, the office of the Registrar is closed for business,

(iii) to enable the vehicle to be driven by the purchaser or a person authorised by the purchaser without registration for any purpose until the time at which the office of the Registrar closes for business on the next day on which it is open for business.

i) Delivery of a motor vehicle to a workshop or other place for repair or servicing of the vehicle or the making of alterations or additions to the vehicle.

j) Return of a motor vehicle from a workshop or other place at which the vehicle has been repaired or serviced or at which alterations or additions have been made to the vehicle.

k) Delivery of a motor vehicle to a place for wrecking or disassembling.

l) On-road testing of a motor vehicle in the course of repairs or servicing or the making of alterations or additions to the vehicle.

m) In the case of a motor vehicle on loan by a motor vehicle repairer to the owner of a motor vehicle under repair - to enable the loan vehicle to be driven for any purpose by the owner of the vehicle under repair provided that

(i) the repairer does not receive any separate monetary consideration in respect of the provision of the loan vehicle; and
(ii) If the loan vehicle is a commercial vehicle – the loan vehicle is not used to carry a load during the loan period except within the State; and
(iii) if the loan vehicle is not a special purpose vehicle-
(A) the repairer is licensed as a dealer under the Second-hand Vehicle Dealers Act 1995; and
(B) the loan vehicle is a second-hand vehicle that is being offered or exposed for sale by the repairer; and
© a notice that complies with section 16 of the Second-hand Vehicle Dealers Act 1995 is attached to the loan vehicle;

n) Delivery of a motor vehicle to the site of a motor show or other similar event at which the vehicle is to be on display.

o) Return of a motor vehicle from the site of a motor show or other similar event at which the vehicle has been on display.

p) Demonstration of the on-road performance of a motor vehicle while the vehicle is on display at a motor show or other similar event.

q) Delivery of a motor vehicle to a place for inspection or examination under the Act, the Road Traffic Act 1961 or any other Act or law.

r) Return of a motor vehicle from a place to which the vehicle has been taken for inspection or examination under the Act, the Road Traffic Act 1961 or any other Act or law.

It is an offence to drive on a road, a motor vehicle that has a trade plate affixed for any reason other than those listed in the Regulations of the Motor Vehicles Act 1959.

Both the driver of the vehicle and the person to whom the trade plate has been issued are guilty of an offence if a trade plate is used incorrectly.