‘Aggressive’ roadside windscreen washers on police radar

Bully window washers who force trapped drivers to get their windscreens cleaned will see a crackdown on their aggressive business tactics.

Roadside windscreen washers who harass or force drivers to have their windows cleaned while stuck in traffic will be under the watchful eye of police after they were exposed for allegedly aggressive tactics.

Drivers around Perth have complained of aggressive window washers for years but a recent video, which showed three young girls kicking a man’s ute after he refused their service, has led to police announcing a statewide crackdown.

The ACT is the only state or territory in Australia where roadside windscreen washing isn’t illegal.

In Western Australia, washers can be hit with a $50 fine if caught by police under the road traffic code which makes soliciting “contributions or employment from the carriageway from an occupant of a vehicle” illegal.

Windscreen washers will be cracked down on by police. Picture: Mark Stewart

In a statement, WA Police said officers come across windscreen washers on a regular basis with some of Perth’s hot spots listed as Roberts Road near PMH Subiaco, the off ramp from Graham Farmer Freeway at Great Eastern Highway, Rivervale, the off ramp from Kwinana Freeway and Canning Highway, Como, and the off ramp from Tonkin Highway to Great Eastern Highway in Redcliffe.

“Our message is that it is an illegal act and it is very dangerous to be moving in between vehicles on the carriageway at intersections and police will infringe/prosecute,” a WA Police spokesman said.

“It should also be noted that the driver could also be issued with an infringement should police actually observe the occupant of a vehicle request the services of the window washers.”

Member for Belmont, Cassie Rowe, is one politician pushing for the crackdown, claiming she’s seen an increase in local complaints.

“I was shown video footage recently of young women at the intersection of Great Eastern Highway and Graham Farmer Freeway and you could see they were agitated and aggressive towards the driver of a ute who appeared to be declining to have his windscreen washed,” Ms Rowe told The West .

“They were screaming and kicking the car and then they threw something into the car window and were leaning in to try to hit driver.

“I’ve been approached by so many locals in so many different suburbs … people are sick of the aggression and harassment.”

Window washing is illegal across Australia. Picture: Mark Stewart

In a separate incident, Belmont police were forced to intervene when they spotted three windscreen washers trying to steal a man’s bike on the Great Eastern Highway.

Two 18 year olds were later caught and charged after allegedly telling the man, “give me your bike or I’ll stab you”.

Despite police regularly patrolling the known hot spots, Ms Rowe said drivers were still being harassed.

“I am sympathetic that some of them are young and just trying to make money but it’s not safe for them (on the roads),” she told The West.

“It’s really intimidating for local residents, they’re getting harassed, they feel they’re being targeted in a really aggressive way if they decline to have their window washed.”

The ACT remains the only place in Australia where windscreen washing is legal after it reversed the ban in 2001.

Two years later, the legality of window washing was up for debate again when driver Lorraine Brown was killed at a Canberra intersection. An investigation found her death was partly due to the distraction of having her windscreen washed.