Thread: Defect Notice for Roof Rack Lights

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Federal law triumphs state law so I still think if it came to a legal battle it would go back to ADR13 7.3.4 which says 'driving lights', which include lightbars, must be 'at the front of the vehicle', which is not on the roof.

The roof is at the front of my 101, so I can run them legally right?

Seriously Guys I can't see a desperate need to have a set of driving lights fitted to the roof IF you already have a decent set of driving/spot lights fitted to the front of the truck as in the OP's case.
IF the front lights are not doing the job add a lightbar or upgrade the existing spot/driving lights.
IF having them fitted to the roof is going to cause you conflict and angst with the local constabulary, Is it REALY worth the hassles fighting this through the courts?
You have to also remember that in the case of small town IF you **** the local Copper off He/She WILL Eventually get you for something

Originally Posted by garrycol

That is referring to clearance lights not light bars or driving lights.

It may be Garry, but for NSW it's the only info I can find, and could be part of this rule;

77 Performance of headlights(cf ALVSR 2015 r 77; 2007 reg Sch 2 cl 90)

(1) When on, a headlight, or additional headlight, fitted to a vehicle must:

(a) show only white light, and

(b) project its main beam of light ahead of the vehicle.

(2) Headlights must be fitted to a vehicle so their light does not reflect off the vehicle into the driver’s eyes.


BTW if you have roof lights and you go into another with the rule no roof top lights, you will be deemed illegal in that State.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Federal law triumphs state law so I still think if it came to a legal battle it would go back to ADR13 7.3.4 which says 'driving lights', which include lightbars, must be 'at the front of the vehicle', which is not on the roof.

There was a clarification document (I think Garry may have linked to it) that defined the front of the vehicle as being the front half.
Think about it. We are mounting these lights on the roof in front of the front seats. That's front, right?

Originally Posted by Redback

BTW if you have roof lights and you go into another with the rule no roof top lights, you will be deemed illegal in that State.

I thought we had put that myth to bed in another thread.
Get a NSW registration - Registration - Roads - Roads and Maritime Services

Interstate vehicles

Any vehicle (including a caravan or trailer), which is driven on NSW roads must be registered in NSW. An exemption to this requirement applies when the vehicle is:

temporarily in NSW, and
currently registered in another state (‘the home state’), and
displaying all the number plates and registration labels required by the home state.

They can't defect a vehicle that does not comply with state registration rules when it doesn't need to be registered in that state.
The vehicle is considered to be exempt from registration in that state because it is currently registered in another state.
As has been stated before, do they expect me to get a "blue slip" each time I visit NSW? No, because my Victorian registered vehicles are exempt from NSW registration whilst I drive them in NSW.

I was talking to a mechanic at KLR Automotive today. He got defected in Richmond, NSW (same as OP) for having a LR army "workshop tray" on the back of his Defender crewcab, i.e., one of these:

dm109workshop04.jpg

The inspector at the RMS said the copper didn't know what he was talking about and the Defender was perfectly legal.

Originally Posted by p38arover

I was talking to a mechanic at KLR Automotive today. He got defected in Richmond, NSW (same as OP) for having a LR army "workshop tray" on the back of his Defender crewcab, i.e., one of these:

dm109workshop04.jpg

The inspector at the RMS said the copper didn't know what he was talking about and the Defender was perfectly legal.

I assume there is a fine with the defect.
If the defect is determined to be not valid by RMS, is the fine still valid and to be paid? What happens to the victim when two persons in authority disagree?

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

I thought we had put that myth to bed in another thread.
Get a NSW registration - Registration - Roads - Roads and Maritime Services

They can't defect a vehicle that does not comply with state registration rules when it doesn't need to be registered in that state.
The vehicle is considered to be exempt from registration in that state because it is currently registered in another state.
As has been stated before, do they expect me to get a "blue slip" each time I visit NSW? No, because my Victorian registered vehicles are exempt from NSW registration whilst I drive them in NSW.

I understood that clause was about recognising interstate registration, not defects, and an interstate registered vehicle could still be defected in another state. A vehicle can be registered, but still have a defect.
For example, Queensland doesn't have annual registration inspections, so a registered vehicle can be driving around with only one headlight (see them all the time). Cross the border to Tweed Heads and it could still be defected for the faulty headlight, even if it is registered in Qld.
Ridiculous I know, but that's our dumb system.