Personalization of cars is a popular practice in Australia with drivers hanging things around the rearview mirror- anything between rosary beads, air fresheners, to fuzzy dice and religious icons. Although it can be a funny or an important method of decorating a vehicle, there are distinct rules regarding it in the Australian road laws. The legal issue here is that the dangling object has to be such that it does not hamper the visibility of the driver to the road. According to the Australian Road Rules, a driver should be able to see far ahead, behind and on either side hence anything which hampers his/her sight may attract a fine or punishment.
| Location | Fine Amount | Demerit Points |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | ~$350 | 3 |
| Queensland | ~$350 | 0 |
| Victoria | $200+ | 0 |
Legal Risks and Implications.
The definition of what constitutes as an obstruction can be somewhat different depending upon the jurisdiction, but the same principle applies throughout the country, which is that of safety first. To give an example, in New South Wales the law provided that drivers who are caught with obstructive items to the rearview mirror face a fine of approximately 350 and three demerit points. Queensland has not demerit points but operates along the same lines. In the meantime Victoria imposes a fine of over 200 dollars to ensure a continuous view is not maintained. In addition to fines, the presence of a large or distracting object in the driver view, such as a large crucifix or large stuffed toy might have more serious consequences, particularly ones that are involved in an accident.
Safety Considerations
One might ask what was the safety reasoning behind these laws. What looks like an innocent decoration might have an effect of obstructing the vision of the driver towards pedestrians, cyclists or other vehicles, particularly during tricky traffic conditions. This can be illustrated by a pedestrian, who might easily be missed in front of a parked car, when the driver is behind and his vision is curtained by hanging items. The motive of the law is to minimize such dangers and improve road safety through making sure that drivers could see clearly what is ahead and around them all the time.
Differences between Australian States.
The general principle of visibility is universal but the application of visibility and sanctions is different in states and territories. Each State (NSW, Queensland and Victoria) has its own fine structure and regulations on demerit points and has slightly different concepts of road safety management. Although there are differences, certain jurisdictions unanimously stand on the no-tolerance policy of objects that significantly hinder the unimpeded view of the driver and that these hindrances are not only dangerous but also unlawful.
Advice for Drivers
Drivers ought to be on the safe side avoid hanging anything that can affect their sight and distract them. A small object such as a pair of rosary beads hidden somewhere may slip by the police, however larger or more bulky items would probably be detected. The rearview mirror space should be clean or not crowded to adhere to the local regulations and to be safe. Never break the law and to ensure you are not fined and get into legal troubles always ensure that you confirm with the concerned roads authority about certain rules in your locality.
FAQs
Legality Hanging air fresheners on the rearview mirror is legal.
Although not illegal in itself, when the air freshener causes the driver to have a view obstruction then fines might be imposed on the driver because of the laws on visibility.
What happens if I get caught?
Depending on your state, you may be fined and demerit points issued. This is based on the level of obstruction the object is considered to be.
Suspension of small religious objects?
Tiny, insignificant objects may be acceptable, however, any large and heavy religious item may be viewed as an obstruction and may be illegal.
This is the summary of what the law and safety of hanging objects on rearview mirrors entails in Australia, and why it is crucial to see well during your driving time to avoid fines and other road regulations that affect road safety.
