‘What the hell?’: Don’t do this to your car

A dangerous but illegal trend is back on the road, prompting a Sydney lawyer to warn Aussies that doing it could leave you drowning in fines.

A dangerous trend has returned to Aussie roads in the lead up to Christmas.

While Christmas is all about showing festive cheer, a Sydney lawyer has warned that one form of decorating in particular could land you in hot water.

In recent years, individuals covering their cars in fairy lights have gone viral online.

Just a few days into December, we can officially say that it’s back – with one Perth driver in particular copping flack from commenters on a post to Reddit.

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Picture: Reddit.

“I’m not sure I even know what the hell I’m looking at there. Can’t be legal,” said one person of the festive car.

“There’s a black BMW covered in lights that’s been parking near the office in Morley, then I saw another car this morning also covered in lights. It’s gotta be illegal right?” another asked.

Sydney lawyer Avinash Singh has confirmed that it is illegal – and could warrant a hefty fine.

Speaking to news.com.au, Mr Singh said that the vehicle in this Reddit post, among others, “emblazoned with Christmas lights”, would fall afoul of traffic laws in any state or territory in Australia.

“The most common laws that would criminalise adding Christmas lights to your vehicle are restrictions on lights that are likely to dazzle other road users, or attaching unapproved lights to a vehicle,” he shared.

“The reason for these laws is because the additional lights can distract other road users and result in an accident.”

However, the specific fines vary from state to state.

“Generally, if police see such a vehicle, they will stop the vehicle and issue the driver with an infringement notice, which can range from $50 to $3300, depending on which State you are in,” he said.

Western Australia and the Northern Territory have perhaps the lightest fines. In both states, only a maximum of four additional headlights can be added to a vehicle, with maximum fines set at $100 and $50 respectively.

However, there’s a significant jump from there.

In Victoria, the maximum penalty for using lights that dazzle is $600, or $2200 in New South Wales.

In Queensland and Tasmania, most additional lights are banned from being added to vehicles. The offence could set you back $3300 and $1010 respectively.

The fines in the ACT and South Australia are similar, set at a maximum of $3300 and $2200.

However, this isn’t the only thing that could get you in trouble this Christmas.

According to Mr Singh, there are a large number of cases where complaints are made about Christmas light displays, adding that “large or distracting Christmas-light displays on homes can be subject to a nuisance complaint to the Local Council”.

“Under the Local Government Act 1993, each Local Council has the power to regulate light nuisances. These are often complaints from neighbours who are flooded with light throughout the night,” he said.

Christmas light displays which attract particularly large crowds could also be classed as a public event, which requires approval under Section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993.

To best stay safe and abide by the law this festive season, Mr Singh recommends avoiding shining the lights on neighbours’ property, using timers to turn them off at night, and working with your local council where necessary.

Originally published as ‘What the hell?’: Don’t do this to your car