Illegal or not? Common driver act continues to confuse Aussies

Now, we have the answer.

Cassidy Pearce

2 min read

July 8, 2025 - 2:51PM

Lifestyle

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For anyone who’s not a ‘car person’ there are only so many ways you can truly make your car yours.

One of those ways is adding a funky air freshener - mine is a cut out of Harry Styles in a tutu...

Like this:

Would Harry in a tutu distract you? Image: Pinterest

But, according to NSW Road Safety, it may actually get you in some hot water!

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“Best not to roll the dice on your safety”

NSW Road Safety has posted a reminder for Aussies to stay safe on the go. This time, it’s to say that you should probably steer clear of air fresheners.

“Hanging air fresheners... legal or not?” the post said.

“There's no specific road rule that mentions hanging air fresheners, but the rules require that drivers have a clear view of the road.

“Air vent air fresheners do the trick - they don't block your view so won't cause a stink.”

And yes, that even means hanging dice.

“Hanging them from your windscreen could obstruct your view, best not to roll the dice on your safety,” they replied in the comments.

Image: Facebook / NSW Road Safety - NSW GOV.

“There are a dozen more places to hang it”

Many commenters agreed that it was better to be safe than sorry.

“I've always had things hanging from my mirror, but now my windscreen is too small and my vision is in fact obstructed, so I don't bother,” one commenter shared.

“Pathetic. There are a dozen more places to hang it. Why are people so stupid it has to be regulated,” said another.

“Not sure how this blocks your view…”

Others, however, didn’t see the big deal, comparing it to other devices which block your view more frequently.

“Not sure how this blocks your view when it's almost dead centre between the driver and passenger seat,” said one commenter.

“What about phones, gps and dash cams stuck to the middle of the windscreen?” another asked.

Watch out!

Aussie lawyer Avinash Singh confirmed that not only is it illegal, air fresheners aren't the only thing people have been caught out for.

"The post from NSW Road Safety is a reference to Rule 297(2) of the Road Rules 2014 (NSW) which states, 'A driver must not drive a motor vehicle unless the driver has a clear view of the road, and traffic, ahead, behind and to each side of the driver'," he told Kidspot.

"In our experience as criminal defence lawyers, many drivers are unaware of this road rule until police pull them over and issue them with a fine. Drivers are usually shocked and outraged, particularly as the fine can be up to $2200.

"We have seen drivers fined for having stickers on their windscreen, having items in the backseat of which cover part of the back windscreen and having items which obscure part of the front windscreen. A large enough air freshener could be grounds for a fine to be issued under this act."