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Blurred plate
Coming back from a ride the other night, I got stopped for breath testing by the police. As the only thing i drank was gatorade, they instead gave me a fine for "blured plate" for some 350$!!! I think they were after a quota to fill... 
I was carring the bike in the bike rack and attached to the rack was a white plastic rectangle, about 25cm wide x 10cm high. On the plastic, written on thick black letters, was my number plate. The poor excuse from the officer (who, by the way, treated me as a criminal and took some 20 minutes until let me go) was that it was manual made and not an official plate.
As far as I knew, the reglamentation says that the plate on the rack must be able to be seen from some ... meters away (don't know the number) and from an angle. Anyone knows exactly what it has to be?
I want to appeal the fine to the court as i have something showing my car id. What do you think? Should I appeal or just suck it up? (I already bought the official number plate for bike racks from RTA for 35$ and should get it in some 3 weeks)
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If you are going to try and defend it all depends on if you had lights illuminating the plate after dark as this is a requirement as well
I got pinged before christmas for same thing - home made plates - white background/black letter. Cost $338 and 3 points - so much for Christmas cheer. Lesson priceless - I now have official RTA plates. He told me I was lucky he didn't also fine me for falsified plates.
Appealed without success - had I had a clean driving record for the last 10 years they said they would have considered waiving the penalty.
Good luck with your appeal.
This is why I went for this rack as it has its own lights as well.
http://nobmob.com/node/12805#comment-42041
Was doing some searching for you and found this
Road Transport (Vehicle Registration) Regulation 2007: Division 5 Number Plates
although I could'nt really find the information you where after, i suggest you contact them to enquire into your situations.
Contacts page
My mate was pinged for the same thing last year
Anything other than the RTA issued plate is illegal, no matter how clear
When he told me the fine I fell over
When I got up, I immediately ordered a plate
I think they're only $30 or something and take a couple of weeks
for the links, but if my english is good enough to undertand that, i am guilty only of not having it iluminated, but it doesn't say it should be issued by RTA... or does it? (any lawer who is able to undertand that lingo
)
Here is the transcript:
21 Bicycle rack number-plates
(1) A registered operator of a motor vehicle (other than a motor bike or a motor trike) may apply for a bicycle rack number-plate.
(2) On receipt of such an application and the payment of any applicable gazetted fee, the Authority may issue, in addition to the vehicle number-plates, a bicycle rack number-plate having the distinguishing number of the registration of the registrable vehicle on which the number-plate is, by means of the bicycle rack, to be placed.
(3) A bicycle rack number-plate issued under this clause is to conform to such specifications as the Authority may determine and must display:
(a) the matter “NSW” and “bike rack” and such other words as the Authority may determine with the approval of the Minister, or
(b) the words “New South Wales” and “bike rack” and such other words as the Authority may determine with the approval of the Minister.
(4) For the purposes of this Regulation:
(a) a bicycle rack number-plate issued under this Regulation is taken to be issued for use on a motor vehicle, and
(b) a bicycle rack number-plate displayed, in accordance with this Regulation, on a bicycle rack on a motor vehicle is taken to be placed on the motor vehicle concerned, and
(c) in determining whether a bicycle rack number-plate has the same number as a vehicle number-plate issued under this Regulation, the following are to be disregarded:
(i) any matter or words displayed on the vehicle number-plate as required by clause 19 (3),
(ii) the words “NSW—THE PREMIER STATE” (if displayed on the vehicle number-plate),
(iii) any matter or words displayed on the bicycle rack number-plate as required by subclause (3).
(5) A bicycle rack number-plate displayed on a motor vehicle must be illuminated, at all times when the vehicle is driven between the hours of sunset and sunrise, with a white light so as to render visible at a distance of 20 metres each number on the plate.
Andy Bloot: the original RTA bike rack number plates were 35$ and they said i will receive a notification in the mail in about 2 or 3 weeks, so i can go back to RTA office an pick it up. But on top of that i will need to invent something to illuminate it once i have them...
It is a problem with illumination
Maybe some rubber bands and your riding lights
They don't make it easy do they
on who pulls you over too - after dark they can have a go at your tail lights being obscured by your bicycle even though the bike plate is illuminated. Brian's rack complies in all regards but pretty expensive. I'm looking at an option that has a white light for the plate and also a tail and stop light as well, like on some trailers.
By the way bike rack plates can be ordered online from http://www.myplates.com.au/design_a_plate/index.... as well.
... as they say. The only legal plate you can put on a trailer or bike rack is an official RTA issued number plate. And make sure your bike(s) do not obscure the view of your number plate as you will get pinged for that too. Sorry mate, but I don't think there is much you can do.
it is illegal to make or modify your own number plate. You've got no case. You have to use the RTA number plate only
From personal experience, I understand it is only a legal requirement to display your vehicle registration number to the front, not to display an RTA issued number plate.
To the rear you shall only display an RTA plate on the vehicle. (unless the vehicle is unregistered and being driven for the purposes of repair or inspection for registration, and a letter of intent is carried inthe vehicle, duly dated and witnessed with the appropriate date and time noted.)
For 14 years I drove a vehicle with a home (work) made adhesive sticker number plate on the front. There was no method to "affix" a metal plate to the vehicle, so a sticker it was. This was accepted at least 10 times over the years by ornery cops at breathalyser points and ones with bastard radars. The plate was of course to the accepted size, colour and style for a front plate.
When I registered my current toy vehicle I checked again with the RTA that the regulations were still in place. Positive result.
There is however one regulation which will catch the unaware. You must carry the official plate in the vehicle at all times.
I was pulled over on the Fort St ramp to the bridge on peakhour afternoon. And yes, I didn't have the plate in the car, so the very nice cop was forced to book me. Lesson learned.
Oh and it is amazing how nice an officer can be when reprimanding you for an infringement, especially when you don't start defensively.
While my rack is expensive at $399 its not far off the fine amount
The plate comes with an info page which you will possibly read and think that maybe your $350 dollars could pay for a couple of posters in a bike shop explaining all these rules etc. Unfortunately i think the money goes to funding to our state which means it's unlikely to have anything to ever do with a bicycle.
I had the bar on my towbar that the actual rack sits on he pulled me up for that as the ball was covering the letters , he told me it was a 350 fine it should be seen from at least 10 m away & at 45 degree angles at least & nearly got done for my mirrored window tint As soon as got home plate & towball came off straight away as I got off scott free as I had a good driving record . I told him when the bike is on the car a number plate is as well as it is made out of aluminium material whish I made & painted myself
If you don't want to cough up $35 it is legal to unscrew your original number plate and attach it to to bike, though that doesn't overcome the lighting problem at night
we were researching bike racks in December as we had the beak style one but some of our new bikes do not fit on it. We looked at the Thule platform style rack which has lights (brake and number plate lights) built in but ended up going with the Aussie built Grip Sport Hi-riser platform rack instead. I called Grip Sport and asked about the number plate area not having inbuilt lights and the guy said that it was not an Australian Std requirement (although Gripsport are looking at producing a light attachment soon). So when you think about it pretty much all the bike racks sold in Aust don't come with lights to illuminate the bike rack number plate. if it is illegal to drive with a non-illuminated bike rack number plate they need to change the Aust standard for the manufacturing of bike racks.
by the way i would recommend the grip sport rack.
The standard cyclist i would dare to say, carries the bike during the day, it is only a few that need a light in the bike rack, hence no need to pay for it if you are not going to use it...
Today i bought a "thing" that attaches to the bike rack with some straps and this "thing" has a place to attach the number plate, comes with brake and plate light plus the cable to plug it into the trailer plug that is in the car. All that for 45$ at a bike shop in parramata where i went before going around the lake for a ride. Before going there i went to super cheap auto to get the parts and build one my self but only light and cable was around 40$. So i think it was good price.
Now i am waiting for the "oficial" plates from RTA and then i dare the traffic controlers to check it