Thread: How to carry a gas tank and other smart stuff

A creative 4WD owner has been slapped with a huge fine after police failed to warm up to a series of bizarre car modifications.Traffic Police spotted the customised Toyota Landcruiser in the Adelaide suburb of Belair complete with a solar panel on its bonnet and a gas cylinder attached to the spare tyre at the rear.But the illegal modifications didn’t stop there.After pulling over the 56-year-old driver just before 10am Saturday, a more thorough examination revealed that the front numberplate had been cut in two so that both sections were affixed on either side of a winch.

“These illegal additions create a significant safety risk in the event of a collision,” Brevet Sergeant David Williams of the Road Policing Section said.“Any fittings, hooks or attachments must not have any sharp edges, corners or protrusions”.The Brooklyn Park resident was issued with a $752 on the spot fine for mutilated number plate and was cautioned in relation to the illegal attachment of the solar panel and gas bottle and instructed to remove both items.His 4WD was also defected and will need to pass an inspection carried out at the Regency Park Vehicle Inspection Station.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/driver-fined-pulled-bizarre-4wd-modifications-210222220.html

You know, I remember when this protrusion rule came in. Pedestrian groups lobbied for it, successfully. And it was a good rule, when applied correctly for it's original intent. The problem was, when pedestrians walked between two parked cars, they would injure themselves. Either cutting themselves on fishing rod holders or that particularly painful injury, hitting their shins on the tow tongue.
So, a rule was passed that there be no protrusions fore and aft. But, in typical fashion, it wasn't quite worded that way.
So, now we have people in authority misapplying the rule from it's original intent. I'm not surprised.
What can I say? All those with awnings, watch out. They'll be after you next. You can't drive around with a lance bolted to the side of your car. What's it for? Jousting?

So, we should take a leaf out of the RMS rule book. They have a thing called a "blue slip".
Blue Slip.jpg
You'll notice under protrusions, it refers to VIB05.
vib-05-protrusions.pdf
In VIB05, it specifically states:

The Roads and Traffic Authority has concerns about the attachment of equipment protruding from the front of vehicles. Some vehicles are fitted with badly designed bull bars with pointed corners and sharp edges, and some are fitted with accessories which protrude beyond the bumper bar or bull bar. Standards Australia is currently developing a standard on bull bars.
Protrusions and some methods of attachment to the front of vehicles increase the likelihood of injury or damage to a person or another vehicle making contact with the vehicle. An accessory or bull bar fitted to a vehicle must therefore be attached in a manner that does not affect the continuing compliance of the vehicle with the Australian Design Rules and Regulations.
This bulletin covers only the roadworthiness requirements for equipment fitted to the front of vehicles. These roadworthiness requirements and the relevant construction safety standards will be reviewed after the proposed Australian Standard on bull bars, vehicle frontal protection systems is issued.

And identifies a protrusion as:

Any attachment or protrusion projecting forward of bull bar (see Figure 1).

Figure 1.jpeg

If I was that Toyota driver, and had heaps of money, I'd take it to court.