The Traffic and Highway Patrol Command uploaded an incriminating photo: the car was clean (somebody earned their weekend pocket money), but the only thing clear about the license plate was that it was caked in dirt. The police couldn’t read the plate, and so issued a $448 (approx. US$318) fine on the spot. The defeated driver also got three demerit points on their license.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was an immediate social media backlash as readers responded to the strictness of the criteria and the penalty. One Facebook user made a valid point about water restrictions: “We can’t wash ours on level 6 water restrictions,” they argued, adding, “You get fined for everything these days.”
Another user cited mitigating circumstances: “What if you live on a dirt road?” they said. “Half of the residents of the hawkesbury live on dirt roads!”
However, many people recognized the inherent danger of driving around with illegible license plates and fully supported the penalties. “Good job making the country safe,” one reader contributed. Another even had a very pragmatic suggestion: “Just give the windscreen washers at the lights an extra dollar to do your plates.”
One user even implied that the fine wasn’t penalty enough. “Fine worthy,” they began, “and there should have been another one for load not being covered.”
Some other states in Australia are already hitting harder. Car owners in South Australia could face fines of up to $474, but with an additional $60 levy. The Northern Territory currently maintains the least fiscally significant penalty: a mere $70 fine for an improperly displayed license plate.
The lesson learned? Don’t leave it too long between car washes! It could turn out to be expensive.
