Strange detail on Aussie number plates reveal little-known road rule

Drivers have been left scratching their heads over a new number plate trend - and now we know the reason for it. 

Not many people seem to know this car rule in Australia. Image: iStock

There's a new 'trend' that has been spotted on Aussie roads - and it's confusing the hell out of local drivers. 

'Unusual' looking number plates have been spotted driving on our roads with some people taking to social media to question what the deal is. 

"What's with this plate?" a confused driver asked on Reddit recently, while also sharing a snap of the 'strange' number plate on a white Toyota 4WD. 

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There is a good reason some number plates are different. Image: Reddit

The registration plate appeared to look different from our usual plates, with bold black writing and a yellow background on the back plates of the car and the same number appearing in the same font with a white background on the front of the vehicle.

Same letters and number, but no matching background- and completely different to what we normally see on our roads. 

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Number plates expose little-known road rule

While some people were baffled by the vehicle, others offered up the reason for it, exposing a quirky Aussie road rule not many of us knew. 

According to some members in the thread, the number plates actually belong to foreigners who have chosen to bring their own vehicle into the country. 

International guests are actually able to bring their own cars, motorbikes, caravans or trailers into Australia with their own registration as long as they have applied for a Carnet De Passages en Douane permit, otherwise known as a CPD. 

The permit gives the driver/owner of the vehicle temporary access to drive on our roads under their international registration. 

"The carnet is valid for 12 months and lets visitors temporary import their private vehicles for touring purposes only," the website states. 

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So many road rules people don't know about 

Many drivers have been caught out with little-known road rules over the years. 

One woman again recently took to Reddit to share something that baffled her when refuelling at the petrol station. 

“I went to put petrol in the car this morning, and like every time I get petrol, my husband got out of the passenger side and went to fill up for me,” she shared back in March. 

“We were taking our time, talking a bit (I was sat in the driver seat with the door half open, the fuel tank is on that side) and messing around transferring money to pay for it (the petrol station was empty, we weren’t holding anyone up), when the cashier suddenly appeared, way too close for comfort."

The cashier approached them, asserting a rule that only the driver—rather than a passenger—was permitted to fill the car up. 

“‘What? Since when?’ we asked. ‘Oh, it’s been a rule for a while now to try and stop drive-offs’ We pushed back a little but quickly just gave up, not wanting to fight with an old woman, and I got out and refuelled.”

The driver was equally confused and annoyed by the rule. 

Originally published as Strange detail on Aussie number plates reveal little-known road rule