VOICE of BYRON regular, Dave Bryant, raises some interesting questions about the road-worthiness of vanpacker vehicles camping illegally in Byron.
Dave says, “The discussion on Voice of Byron about tourists and vanpackers copping Fines for illegal camping has got me thinking…
“OK, so what if a Tourist buys a Vehicle with the intention of driving it around Australia… MUST they re-register it once it expires?…
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“Do they HAVE TO Insure it, even just with Third Party Fire & Theft?
“I know Rego includes Compulsory Third Party, but would half of these vehicles even pass a Roadworthy check?
“If the rego expires and they don’t re-register it, they are driving a lethal weapon which, if they are at fault in an accident, they have neither Rego or Insurance.
“Is it possible that there are dozens, possibly hundreds of backpackers driving around in dilapidated vans, un-registered, uninsured, who take pot luck they aren’t in an accident?
“Is this a time bomb waiting to explode, or am I just imagining things?
“In a place like Byron Bay, why don’t the Police do a compulsory rego check on all vehicles, I know, it’s easier said than done, but in so doing, it would nut out the ones who are Registered and the ones who aren’t and are just hoping they aren’t in an accident, in which case they might be liable.
“I guess being a tourist, they all drive slower, chilled out, and in so doing, are least likely to be involved in a road accident.
“I never see backpackers on the nightly news involved in a car accident… but, what if?
“Don’t get me wrong PLEASE, I LOVE Byron Bay and the tourists make it what it is, but as tourists they can do things that we as Residents and Australians can’t do BY LAW.
“Love to hear your thoughts!”
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All Police cars have Auto rego plate readers which pick up un registered cars on the spot .
This is a national data base.