The Motor Trades Association of Queensland is pushing for annual vehicle inspections

[jmack]

rwc like elctrical tagging are only an indication that they were ok at the time they were checked and anything could happen in 11 months time,if you r the type that relys on a peice of paper written all that time ago to think everything is fine now then you r a fool

[BF-2K7]

Originally Posted by jmack

rwc like elctrical tagging are only an indication that they were ok at the time they were checked and anything could happen in 11 months time,if you r the type that relys on a peice of paper written all that time ago to think everything is fine now then you r a fool

Correct, a tag or a RWC is only a piece of paper that certifies that the vehicle (or appliance) has been checked off as safe.

It is then up to the individual to maintain the vehicle to that standard and not abuse it.

I agree, if you rely on it to keep your vehicle safe then yes, you are a fool.

Better to have something checked to a standard than not at all.

[GREGL]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

My mother in law is in her late 70s
Gets her car regularly serviced by the same bloke, has done for years
They are a reputable business, and do RWCs as well
last service she got done,it was noted on the service docket,
"Windscreen washer bottle doesnt work,radiator leaks,front brakes about 15 % , front tyres just legal"
Wouldnt you think they would ring her regarding these if they were a safety issue ???
I fixed all the issues, tyres booked fitted, new rad ordered , done the whole lot in under a few hours, and i aint no mechanic
But instead they sent a 70 year old woman on her way .........
Was i amused, nope, does she take her car there anymore,nope
I understand in a perfect world, your correct in your point,but noone lives in a perfect world

Idiots , could have made some easy money . Your point is?

For the tyres to be just legal and brake 15% she has racked up some K's since the last service or the shop is sussed . I don't understand how you yourself didn't notice the tyres at least , I am a bit fanatical about tyres , to me they are up there with brakes and are the easiest thing to check . Even my dog would know they were worn ( he pees on em' al the time ) .

My mum 83 and as much as she hates it the the mech rings her and tells her what shes up for . The timing cover gasket has been on the agenda for the last 5 yrs and might be done before PETER sees her but I doubt it .

[GREGL]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Holden had a commo years ago,that when the hammer goes down it shuts down
Its designed to be a progressive power up,and was marketed as cheap to run
My mates mum bought one, and its dangerous
Pull out to do a slow truck, and expect it too take ages to get around,you need a long stretch,
We had 1 incident where a car turned into a street then pulled back out, we went to go around,put the foot down and nothin happened,was a whisker from a bad situation
A normal car ,with power can go round slow trucks and power out of most situation,so limited,power or speed is dangerous
But it doesnt really matter what we have ,or our power,it the other idiots out there
We had to stop on a main highway because a b double wanted to overtake comin towards us
Yep we stopped and got of the road, and he only just had enuf room
We can have the safest,best cars in the world,theres always gunna be idiots who risk others

You must be very young SIDI's only came out 5 odd years ago OR your refering to the starfire 4 VC in which you would be a brave person overtaking a pushbike lol

[sierra63]

I have just had my Territory inspected here in NSW, and all I can say is that as a rego inspection, it was a waste of time. The car never moved from it's parking spot in the car park, the guy simply opened the door, and looked in the drivers side (perhaps to get the odo reading).

He never lifted the bonnet, nor did he look underneath, as he did not move the car, then did not test the brakes, he may have looked at the tyres, as he passed the end of the car..... All over and done with, in a couple of minutes.... And to add to that, on the rego papers he had incorrectly written down the odo, and transposed two of the digits.....

The name of this backyard shop...... NRMA service centre......

How is this a safety inspection, and in fact it appears to be a reduction in regards to what they used to do... Several years ago, they at least took it out on the road, checked the brakes, and had it on the ramps, to check for leaks, gater splits etc etc....

Hope that QLD, if they are going to do it, at least do it right, and INSPECT.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by flappist

Well actually as the thread is about QLD, I live in QLD and drive in QLD I have a bit of an idea of what goes on here.

A car cannot be advertised for sale without a current RWC.
A car cannot be registered or have registration transferred without a current RWC, the exception being that new cars must be predelivered by a licensed dealer who is legally responsible for the vehicle's roadworthyness.
We have random roadworthy checks done along with license and breath test on very regular intevals.
TMR also run large scale opperations where all cars are stopped and inspected and those that are suspect have a few weeks to prove they are roadworthy.
The traffic branch and to a lesser extent GD target crappy vehicles and it is not uncommon to see then on the side of the road with blue tape waiting to be picked up on a tray.

Now if YOU want to change the law in SA then YOU lobby your local politicians.

I've been here for four years, and I've never been pulled over for one of these random roadworthy checks, heck, most of the rbts I've been through they don't even check rego...

And funnily enough I currently have a un'rwc car advertised for sale, and noones come to throw me in gaol just yet.

I'm all for yearly inspections, and quite frankly out in the sticks then too bad, you choose to live there, doesn't make anyone exempt from their responsibilities.

And just to clarify my position, I drive an older car, and certainly will find more costs a burden, but IMO its worth it.

[cs123]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

And funnily enough I currently have a un'rwc car advertised for sale, and noones come to throw me in gaol just yet.

What he says is true though. You are suppose to have a RWC when you advertise your car. A lot of people will just get one when the car is sold. You need the RWC to transfer the rego.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

I've been here for four years, and I've never been pulled over for one of these random roadworthy checks, heck, most of the rbts I've been through they don't even check rego...

And funnily enough I currently have a un'rwc car advertised for sale, and noones come to throw me in gaol just yet.

I'm all for yearly inspections, and quite frankly out in the sticks then too bad, you choose to live there, doesn't make anyone exempt from their responsibilities.

And just to clarify my position, I drive an older car, and certainly will find more costs a burden, but IMO its worth it.

Well firstly yes they have checked your rego, it is done in one of the vehicles by a junior in the case of a fixed operation and on the radio before they pull you over in the case of an intercept. This is SOP and if you listen to VKR you will hear it going on 24 hours a day. Listen for the term QV which will return your rego status, description of vehicle including colour and if privately registered license status of the owner as well as any outstanding warrants or special interest flags such as bad traffic history, licensed gun owner or CIB have interest.

As far as your cleverness at breaking the law and not being caught, well right now there are a lot of people driving drunk, selling drugs, breaking and entering and committing all sorts of other offenses who have not been caught. They are just as clever as you.

The last point here is that you are a hypocrite.

You support the idea of mandatory yearly RWC yet in an existing system where a RWC is mandatory you publicly admit that you do not care about the law and brag how you have got away with it.

[arronm]

Gee just read a few posts. Thank god I live in WA and dont have to worry about all that stuff.

Last time all my cars were checked was when I serviced them. Before that it was when Ford built them.

[cs123]

Originally Posted by arronm

Gee just read a few posts. Thank god I live in WA and dont have to worry about all that stuff.

Last time all my cars were checked was when I serviced them. Before that it was when Ford built them.

AFAIK it's only NSW that have to live with that law. But they like it so much they want to share with the rest if Australia.

NSW is automotive utopia. Beautifully maintained cars driving on perfect roads. Your life expectancy actually goes up when you hop in a car in NSW.

[BF-2K7]

Originally Posted by cs123

What he says is true though. You are suppose to have a RWC when you advertise your car. A lot of people will just get one when the car is sold. You need the RWC to transfer the rego.

I don't know where this law is that states you must sell a car with a RWC.

That is not the case.

You may sell an unroadworthy or unregistered vehicle, the only requirement is that you sign the tranfer/disposal papers correctly.

If it is unregistered (therefore also unroadworthy in NSW) you are also required to hand the number plates into the RTA (now called Roads and Maritime Services or RMS) or you may keep them and transfer them to another vehicle (after filling in the appropriate forms).

exerpt from thier site :-

"When you sell your vehicle, it is your responsibility to tell Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) that you are no longer the registered owner."

The site has no mention that it has to be registered OR roadworthy.

Rego & RWC are only required to drive the vehicle on public roads.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by sierra63

He never lifted the bonnet, nor did he look underneath, as he did not move the car, then did not test the brakes, he may have looked at the tyres, as he passed the end of the car..... All over and done with, in a couple of minutes.... And to add to that, on the rego papers he had incorrectly written down the odo, and transposed two of the digits.....

The name of this backyard shop...... NRMA service centre......

If NRMA did that they should be ashamed of themselves....

They need to test the brakes by hooking up a pressure sensor to the pedal and taking it for spin... It then prints off a receipt that shows the speed, pedal pressure and the deceleration time....

I think they must have a saved reading or a 'print the last test again' option as it isn't the first time I have heard of inspections being done without anyone ever entering the car.

[supershifty]

Originally Posted by BF-2K7

I don't know where this law is that states you must sell a car with a RWC.

That is not the case.

You may sell an unroadworthy or unregistered vehicle, the only requirement is that you sign the tranfer/disposal papers correctly.

If it is unregistered (therefore also unroadworthy in NSW) you are also required to hand the number plates into the RTA (now called Roads and Maritime Services or RMS) or you may keep them and transfer them to another vehicle (after filling in the appropriate forms).

exerpt from thier site :-

"When you sell your vehicle, it is your responsibility to tell Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) that you are no longer the registered owner."

The site has no mention that it has to be registered OR roadworthy.

Rego & RWC are only required to drive the vehicle on public roads.

In QLD this applies:

Selling a vehicle?
If you are selling a registered vehicle, you will need to obtain and display a Queensland safety certificate ( http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Registrati...tificates.aspx ) from the moment you offer the vehicle for sale. The safety certificate must be displayed on a conspicuous part of the vehicle. Contact an approved inspection station to arrange an inspection. Fees for inspections are paid directly to the station. A seller's checklist is available ( http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Registrati...checklist.aspx ).
If you fail to display a Queensland safety certificate on the vehicle from the moment you offer it for sale you may receive an on-the-spot fine of $550.
Note: You are required to obtain and display a safety certificate on a registered vehicle when it is being offered for sale, even if you plan on cancelling the registration when the vehicle is sold.

Source: http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Registrati...d-vehicle.aspx

Cheers!

[BF-2K7]

.......... thanks for that supershifty

I see its a Qld thing, much appreciated the info.

[nstg8a]

That's the difference, mines not registered, so no rwc required to advertise it for sale,

So not breaking any laws to brag about.

Also I meant rbts where they are set up on the side of the road and just wave you in, not so much when they pull you over, I'm more than aware when they pull you over they already know they can probably get you on something.

No such thing as a truly random breath test....

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Huh...been waiting for the start of it.


This could be the start of such a push, this time by the MTAQ in the name of "safety"...this subject pops up every five to ten years or so...

Got that right.....I left QLD in 1995 and prior to me leaving, they were carrying on every now and then for this sort of stuff....I put it down to a slow news week...

[svo supporter]

S.A doesn't have any mandatory inspections....If the car is unregistered, walk in cough up some dough and start driving when you get to the car.

As for a car being a certain age before it becomes mandatory....Why not make it mandatory every 12 months....Even new cars are unroadworthy....oil leaks, faulty suspension parts, bald tyres, worn brake pads/rotors....there's a start.....Does this sound far fetched???? have a sticky round on here and tell me if it is?

FWIW, the worse offenders for an unsafe car I have seen since I've been in the trade are people with new cars...ie under 5 years old, yet the ones the people are complaining about being unsafe are the older ones....some people actually need a reality check and get their fingers on the pulse, not elsewhere

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by flappist

Well actually as the thread is about QLD, I live in QLD and drive in QLD I have a bit of an idea of what goes on here.

We have random roadworthy checks done along with license and breath test on very regular intevals.
TMR also run large scale opperations where all cars are stopped and inspected and those that are suspect have a few weeks to prove they are roadworthy.
The traffic branch and to a lesser extent GD target crappy vehicles and it is not uncommon to see then on the side of the road with blue tape waiting to be picked up on a tray.

.

One thing I do notice, travelling through that lovely state and spy these inspection stations is, they'll pick an older car out of the line before a newer one.....However, the newer ones are the most likely to be unroadworthy the majority of the time, but the inspectors are working in the name of the "greenies" and want the older cars off the road, so they'll leave the newer stuff alone.....my comments have been confirmed by your comments in this area

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

My mother in law is in her late 70s
Gets her car regularly serviced by the same bloke, has done for years
They are a reputable business, and do RWCs as well
last service she got done,it was noted on the service docket,
"Windscreen washer bottle doesnt work,radiator leaks,front brakes about 15 % , front tyres just legal"
Wouldnt you think they would ring her regarding these if they were a safety issue ???
I fixed all the issues, tyres booked fitted, new rad ordered , done the whole lot in under a few hours, and i aint no mechanic
But instead they sent a 70 year old woman on her way .........
Was i amused, nope, does she take her car there anymore,nope
I understand in a perfect world, your correct in your point,but noone lives in a perfect world

With all due respects, being in the trade, if every customer got rang for safety items needing items replaced that the car didn't got booked in for, bugger all work would be done . Bugger all work being done means bugger all money coming in, which leeds to doors being shut.

Flip side....That mechanic should be praised, as there isn't alot out there that go to the effort of noting the issues....

So perfect world.....That mechanic is close to being in it and you bagged him and booted him off.....so you're right....your no where near his world...

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by svo supporter

S.A doesn't have any mandatory inspections....If the car is unregistered, walk in cough up some dough and start driving when you get to the car.

As for a car being a certain age before it becomes mandatory....Why not make it mandatory every 12 months....Even new cars are unroadworthy....oil leaks, faulty suspension parts, bald tyres, worn brake pads/rotors....there's a start.....Does this sound far fetched???? have a sticky round on here and tell me if it is?

FWIW, the worse offenders for an unsafe car I have seen since I've been in the trade are people with new cars...ie under 5 years old, yet the ones the people are complaining about being unsafe are the older ones....some people actually need a reality check and get their fingers on the pulse, not elsewhere

dont even have to walk in.. 5 mins on da internerdz you be rolling..

http://www.sa.gov.au/subject/Transpo...otoring/EzyReg

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

dont even have to walk in.. 5 mins on da internerdz you be rolling..

http://www.sa.gov.au/subject/Transpo...otoring/EzyReg

Well, I'll be stuffed.....Not an internerd so I didn't know....wonders of the interweb hey

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by svo supporter

With all due respects, being in the trade, if every customer got rang for safety items needing items replaced that the car didn't got booked in for, bugger all work would be done . Bugger all work being done means bugger all money coming in, which leeds to doors being shut.

Flip side....That mechanic should be praised, as there isn't alot out there that go to the effort of noting the issues....

So perfect world.....That mechanic is close to being in it and you bagged him and booted him off.....so you're right....your no where near his world...

Most business have a person running the front shop,or customer relations,like an office worker
A simple fone call mentioning , the issues ,how its not really safe or reliable,and we can fix before you collect wouldnt hurt ....
Its called customer relations,and if a business cant afford to take the time to offer this,and worry about their repeat customers, then they shouldnt be in business
Ive only run my own show for nearly 20 years, bending over backwards, helping customers,both now and future perspective is also whats required to run a business, not purely offering a service and over charging for that and the massive parts mark up

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Most business have a person running the front shop,or customer relations,like an office worker
A simple fone call mentioning , the issues ,how its not really safe or reliable,and we can fix before you collect wouldnt hurt ....
Its called customer relations,and if a business cant afford to take the time to offer this,and worry about their repeat customers, then they shouldnt be in business
Ive only run my own show for nearly 20 years, bending over backwards, helping customers,both now and future perspective is also whats required to run a business, not purely offering a service and over charging for that and the massive parts mark up

Not all small mechanical businesses have this luxury....It's a fairly cut throat business and having to find an extra few hundred a week to have this luxury is out of reach for the majority of them.


In saying that, even though this particular business didn't make the call, they still made a note of the problems, which is a rare thing....So instead of writing them off for not making a silly phone call, think about the service they did provide that alot of other mechanical places don't (both big and small).....ie, made a written note of the problems, for everyone to see, which is bending over backwards helping a customer....past, present and future. Also, did they make mention of the problems when the car was collected?

It is also nice to know you're in business, however I suspect it's not in the mechanical trade, so you're probably not aware how tight things are in that trade. Hence your comments

[BF-2K7]

Originally Posted by svo supporter

Not all small mechanical businesses have this luxury....It's a fairly cut throat business and having to find an extra few hundred a week to have this luxury is out of reach for the majority of them.

........ it doesnt take much time to call a customer and say this or that needs fixing and the cost involved, and I wouldn't say its 'bending over backwards' to help a customer, its what businesses do to keep their customers, it's called customer service, and it's usually free, just like a smile, and being courteous.

You're right in one respect, it is cut throat out there for small mechanical businesses, so if they make a courtesy call regarding some repairs to a customer, they are one step ahead of their opposition.

One phone call to a customer advising faults or repairs needed will bring in more work and $$$$ so I cant see why a business wouldnt do it!

Thinking that its a 'chore' or 'bending over backwards' will surely run you out of business.

This applies for any small business should they wish to survive.

[ratter]

ever considered they may have been busy and had no time to do the repairs in the time the customer wanted the car back?

[BF-2K7]

Originally Posted by ratter

ever considered they may have been busy and had no time to do the repairs in the time the customer wanted the car back?

A good business operator can make time for a call, and the customer would be advised that the repairs will take longer, c'mon, many a car has been left on the hoist/workshop overnight waiting for parts.

[nstg8a]

I don't know about others experiences, but I always feel somewhat dubious when i take a car in somewhere to get something done, and they ring up and say ' oh, and this is worn and this broken and that's nearly gone'...

If its a serious safety issue then sure it's worth the call, but otherwise I'd rather be shown the fault when I pick it up, and book it in fr a later appointment. That's gives me a chance for a second opinion, or to save up extra funds or whatever.

But back on topic, is there any govt run rwc places? Ie that's all they do, no repairs or anything?
That's how it's done in NZ, sure the local mech can still get a wof/rwc license but the big chains really do the majority of the tests.

No appointment needed, just rock up, get in the que and wait. Generally not there much longer than 30 minutes in my experience.
And with them doing no repairs on site, lessens the chance of picking on insignificant faults just to rack up a bill.
You can never really get around the 'dodgies' , its human nature to try and bend the rules, all you can do is make it harder to occur.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

I don't know about others experiences, but I always feel somewhat dubious when i take a car in somewhere to get something done, and they ring up and say ' oh, and this is worn and this broken and that's nearly gone'...

If its a serious safety issue then sure it's worth the call, but otherwise I'd rather be shown the fault when I pick it up, and book it in fr a later appointment. That's gives me a chance for a second opinion, or to save up extra funds or whatever.

But back on topic, is there any govt run rwc places? Ie that's all they do, no repairs or anything?
That's how it's done in NZ, sure the local mech can still get a wof/rwc license but the big chains really do the majority of the tests.

No appointment needed, just rock up, get in the que and wait. Generally not there much longer than 30 minutes in my experience.
And with them doing no repairs on site, lessens the chance of picking on insignificant faults just to rack up a bill.
You can never really get around the 'dodgies' , its human nature to try and bend the rules, all you can do is make it harder to occur.

any garage, tire fitters, mechanic, supermarket, car dealer...can do pink slip.

[GREGL]

Originally Posted by BF-2K7

A good business operator can make time for a call, and the customer would be advised that the repairs will take longer, c'mon, many a car has been left on the hoist/workshop overnight waiting for parts.

All hypothetical in reality, would 302s mum have even given the go ahead if called. perhaps she might have needed to consult her son first and he might have decided he would do it himself. Which is what in fact happened

I wonder if the car would have been towed home to perform these tasks, because it was unroadworthy.

Myself, I prefer the smaller shops becauase 1. you are welcome to enter the workshop proper and check there work in progress. 2. You can build up rapport with the fella. which leads to a better understanding all round.

I was thinking about it today. I go to the doctor, $45 bucks 10 mins later I'm out the door. Whats a roadie $67 ? Stuff all money in it for the shop if its done properly. Maybe the Govco could set up MEDICAR if they wish to pursue the annual R.W.C and then we can all be safe in the knowledge that if our cars get a bit of cancer or similar the Govco would put in.

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by BF-2K7

........ it doesnt take much time to call a customer and say this or that needs fixing and the cost involved, and I wouldn't say its 'bending over backwards' to help a customer, its what businesses do to keep their customers, it's called customer service, and it's usually free, just like a smile, and being courteous.

You're right in one respect, it is cut throat out there for small mechanical businesses, so if they make a courtesy call regarding some repairs to a customer, they are one step ahead of their opposition.

One phone call to a customer advising faults or repairs needed will bring in more work and $$$$ so I cant see why a business wouldnt do it!

Thinking that its a 'chore' or 'bending over backwards' will surely run you out of business.

This applies for any small business should they wish to survive.

Honestly, if we rang every customer that I found faults with their cars, we'd get nothing done.....I work in a small business (4 people, including me), so time is precious....in between answering numerous calls, serving customers for sales, or after sales work and performing the work....doesn't leave much time for "quick" fault finding calls........oh forgot, have to write faults down on a job card and get the holla from the office to come and explain the problem to the customer and more often than not, putting the car on the hoist (when I finish work on another car up on the hoist) and showing the customer...

So yes, it'd be marvellous to make that lovely courtesy phone call to advise of faults, but I'd love to know where anyone in my workplace is going to find that precious time to do so.....would you like to come and be the phone caller and work for free? it'd definately help....