Annual RWC testing. Are you for or against??

[EL_futuraistic]

Hey guys. This is one for the Victorians as NSW and im not sure what other states already have this in place.

I believe there is so many boxes on our roads, with bald tyres, worn out suspension ,worn out brakes, and worst of all Bellowing out blue "oil burning" smoke out the back killing the environment, just because they dont give a F**k.

I am sick and tired of having to constantly hit Re-circ on my a/c becuase of box cars in front.

Do you think there should be compulsary yearly Road worthy testing for vehicles?? or at least emissions and safety checks???

[Psycho Chicken]

Nope, too easy to get a bodgey done, no point.

[santoitaliano]

no... not really... just think about the added stress, money, etc.. and the best part is that bodgy rwc will reach an all time high...

as far as the bellowing black smoke.. there's an epa hotline that you can call which should most definately be emphasised in public more..

[Kryton]

how about a poll?

[rob_o]

Im sure that there may be some bodgy cars getting through, but im sure that the majority of them wont. Its a risk for the mechanic who lets a car like that go though. My dads a mechanic and his ex business partner let an unroadworthy car go though so as a result dad got his licence suspended by the RTA. He never lets dodgy cars go...

No because its pretty obvious Vicroads are far to irresponsible to run this sort of thing and will turn to revenue raising after about an entire day. With the way some government departments act you would think after market intercoolers on various japanese cars are the biggest threat to public safety around. I have heard there is no provisions in complying with ADR rules that allow anything to be changed on your car either which means if they really wanted to they could complain about really small things like a non OEM airfilter panel or spark plugs.

They couldn't care less about emissions anyway, they continue to tax new cars heavily at the expense of safety and emissions as alot of Australians drive older cars because of the cost of new cars. Theres also recent evidance suggesting catalytic converters release more harmful stuff then they clean up yet they never do anything about it because half the reason they are they are on cars in the first is because of a bunch of whining tree hugers who are too stupid to understand what they are whinging about.

[Feathers]

In NSW cars older than 3 years have to be inspected every time you renew the rego. (Pink Slip inspection)

I may or may not know someone who could have possibly inspected a car belonging to a friend of a friend, over the phone.
This person might have used their own car to do the brake test, and may have sent the completed pink slip to the owner via Australia Post.

When they inspected the same car the next year, it was all done inside an authorised workshop.

While the car sat out on the street.

Apparently the fact that the car had been driven to the workshop was enough to classify it as roadworthy.

The owner of the car was NOT impressed.

[XA Coupsta]

QLD is the same I think?

You need a RWC if you change ownership/rego, sell or buy a car type thing (well you can sell one unroadworthy though). But you dont have the yearly check thing like NSW does.

I dunno what the answer is - because I also agree how it can be revenue raising red tape rubbish we all have to be put through each year.

To be honest I do see a LOT of crappy, unroadworthy, unsafe cars on the road. A yearly type of RWC would get those off the road at least.

[MO]

In the ACT and the NT annual inspections have been on for yonks...personally I think they're a good thing.
For a start the best thing is to take the car to the RTA/MVR pits,these guys do a good job and are'nt going to tell you something needs fixing if it does'nt..they're not running their own business and looking for work/dollars.

I've never had a problem with either the NT or the ACT,I've been down in the pit with them as they go over the car...using the line 'I don't get to look under here to often do you mind if come down and have a look'..it also helps if you have a bit of mechanical savvy.

They have often said to me ...'you might need to replace x before the next inspection,its got one maybe two years left.

[Fairlane]

I don't see the point for yearly checks (not unless they fix the system). I see just as many 'bombs' in NSW as I saw in QLD.

But I do strongly believe in RWC's at sale time however.

[NAK302]

i'll be selfish here.
each year all i do is send the payment to RTA via the net and about a week or so later i get my new sticker. no hassles, no bodgy mechanics, no stress. too easy. if my car becomes unroadworthy then sgt plod can do his bit to uphold the law.

[Falcon Freak]

I am against regular roadworthy checks. If they took a lot of the old cars off the road then there would be few restoration opportunities and spare parts would become almost impossible to find.

FF

[MITCHAY]

I think in ACT you only have to get one when your transfer rego and when the vehicle is a certain age. Also they might request one before they renew it. Ive only had mine done once which it failed but we got it fixed and thats when we transfer rego from the previous owner.

My car will always be in roadworthy condition because when it comes down to it your riskin your own life aswell as others not to mention the fact that it sh*ts me when my car doesnt work properly.

People who drive with bald tyres and shotty brakes are asking for trouble.

Also its cheaper to spend money now than let it get worse. The only thing that worries me at the moment is my rear pads so they will be getting replaced soon. There is some rack end play so that will need to get fixed soon aswell. Other than that shes peaches.

[RED_EL_XR8]

It can and does get bypassed, but its not as easy as people think in NSW, having lived in both NSW & Victoria I can say I prefer the idea of the inspection.

Police are a lot less tuned to looking for defect here in NSW, unless you have been misbehaving.
And the rego inspection at least forces all those heaps out there to have tread on their tyres, and a working muffler, and oil leaks reduced back to the odd drop, for this alone its worthwhile.

[deankdx]

personally i think it should be done every 2 years on cars over 7 years old, and rego price should drop to accomadate the cost of a RWC
there would be a lot of people not willing to pay extra for a bodgie RWC on a rusty old datsun etc that are driving around at the moment IMO

a poll would have been good, is it too late to start one?

[FASTXR]

Its not often that I am as amazed at some of the posts on AFF as I am by some of the ones in this thread.
Let me get this straight - there are people in this thread who oppose any moves to actually make our roads safer? Who oppose removing vehicles with buggered brakes, stuffed exhausts, broken indicators, damaged seat belts and God knows what else from the roads? What planet are you people on?

Yes, I'm sure there are some dodgy mechanics out there who may do a favour for someone and pass an unroadworthy car, but surely this would be the exception rather than the rule?

I'm just struggling with the concept that some people think that it would be a fairer and safer system for us to regulate ourselves when it comes to motor vehicle safety. No one would ever dob themselves in for speeding, nor would they ever dob themselves in for drink driving, doing a burnout or having bald tyres, so why would it be any different when it comes to roadworthies?

Its a bit like the argument over the national ID card or closed circuit cameras - if you've done nothing wrong then you have nothing to worry about....

[INJECTED_250]

The vacc tried to bring it in a few years ago, but they only wanted vacc members to do the checks... NOTHING MORE THEN A MONNEY RASER and to get more workshops to join the vacc...

[w0lf]

I think it's a good thing. Gets all those dodgy cars off the road. However I don't think it would ever happen. It doesn't affect me as may car is stock.

A roadworthy certificate is very easy to get however, I have seen many of my mates cars done without being 100% roadworthy. Especially if you know the mechanic. I have even heard of a roadworthy done over the phone, the mechanic didn't even look at the car. (was a mate of the owner)

[b2tf]

I'm all for it, keep the clunkers off the roads.Shame it's too easy to pass one - just find a smalltime mechanic and odds are you'll pass. I'll admit I did it with the EF simply because i couldnt afford to fix what was wrong with it, that said i NEVER let it get to a point where it was dangerous to drive around.

[Des]

It's a must. Though I've seen quit a few vehicles recently here in NSW that definately wouldn't of passed a RWC. They should also ban re-treads on taxi's as part of their RWC.

[deankdx]

Originally Posted by FASTXR

Let me get this straight - there are people in this thread who oppose any moves to actually make our roads safer? Who oppose removing vehicles with buggered brakes, stuffed exhausts, broken indicators, damaged seat belts and God knows what else from the roads?

Its a bit like the argument over the national ID card or closed circuit cameras - if you've done nothing wrong then you have nothing to worry about....

i remember recently RACV had thier say on the matter and said that most(it was a high percentage) accidents were not caused by fualty cars... just have a look in the panel shops and auctions at how many new cars are there....
pollution wise different story

as for I.D cards i cant see any point. if i was a terrorist, i'd get a fake one

[TheSneakiness]

I reckon that cars of a certain age and over should get yearly checks. Just keeps the owner honest.

[XAGSV8]

Personally I think every car should be done every five years of rego as this is the point some start really wearing out.

[LTDHO]

Originally Posted by nak351

each year all i do is send the payment to RTA via the net and about a week or so later i get my new sticker. no hassles, no bodgy mechanics, no stress. too easy. if my car becomes unroadworthy then sgt plod can do his bit to uphold the law.

I agree here.

It is up to the police to ensure the Victorian roads aer safe.

Everyday I see cars on the road and left over bits of cars at work that were clearly unroadworthy. I do believe that dodgy inpections will be too easy to get as road users can not be bothered with it and inspectors would rather the quick cash.

If/When the police decide to uphold this law then road uses will take it seriously and will maintain their cars.

[parawolf]

I'd agree with this in two stages

1) For "NEW" cars, yearly RWC's are included at no or minimal cost ($10 inc gst) as part of new car servicing at your dealership. 3rd party dealerships can charge extra (ultratune)

2) For out of warranty vehicles, VicRoads then performs it as part of your registration. It should cost no more than $25 (inc GST) as there is to be no remidation in this. If there is remidation, then it costs extra.

Sure some places will do a dodgy and screw it up, however if VicRoads then 'randomly' inspects RWC places when they do the work, then they can cover it up.

Benefit should be that a properly RWC car is more likely to be safer on the roads (not the mug behind the wheel, but the physical hardware) and that should reduce the costs of compulsory third party enough to offset the costs.

[XplosiveR6]

first and foremost I keep my car roadworthy. But with todays fuel prices, running a car is getting more and more expensive by the minuite, i feel sorry for the people who have to shell out all this money every year to get a roadwothly, when they dont have much money.
now you all are prob going to say 'if you cant afford to run a car properly dont drive' well im sorry, but i dont know about ather states, but the victorian public transport is a joke, for most people, who dont work in the city there is no alternative to getting to work, other then a car.
if ther government want only cleaner cars on the road well they better fix up the public transport system (who am i kidding)

[Racecraft]

It is pointelss if the business is funnelled straight through to the private sector, too many loopholes and greedy dodge blokes in the game.

The only cost effective and unbiased way is to have it done thru the government department, wether its it Vic Roads, QLd DoT or whoever.. The problem then being that although you will be changed a flat $20 for example for the inspection, the government will push your redgo up $100 to cover the extra staff and still put more in the coffers..

[Moya]

I'm against it. Not because my car isn't perfect (because she is, obviously..bein an 'enthusiist'). But cars like my mums and my girlfriends. Neither of them know anything about cars, and both would be ed around at mechanics because 99.99% are dodgy uneducated guys. Usually once every 3 months or so I have a quick look over there cars, change oil/air/filters whatever, but I do know, alot of the time, they'll have a single tyre without enough thread, or a corner whos pad are 1mm under legal.

Problem with this is, they don't drive hard. I dont think either of there cars have seen above 2000rpm (Astra + EF Falcon) - Soo being under the legal tyre limit for a month while they get the money for a new tyre (which to them is a complete waste of money - there still 'rubber' on it) is not that much of a problem.

For me however, that one tyre being under legal limit may cause me to lose grip and slide out taking out a bus load of kids on a friday arvo if I were to be driving spiritedly redling it everywhere.

See the difference?

[brenx]

I'm against it. As an owner of 3 cars. I see it as a gov't money grab. I'd hate to see what $ you'd be looking at for a r/w.

Other states have subsidies on other things such as fuel etc etc to offset the cost of a r/w. What do we have? Full price everything!

[dansedgli]

Thats a no from me too! I would hate to do an engine swap/wiring loom swap on a yearly basis :(