A young driver has copped a hefty $2200 fine and nine demerit points after he was caught cruising an inner-city Sydney suburb with an illegal device used to black out the car’s number plates. Police officers recently observed the ‘Stealth Plate Curtains’ were fitted to both the front and rear registration plates of the blue Lexus GS.
The remote-controlled contraptions, which can fetch hundreds of dollars online, allow the driver to “black out” the registration plates with the simple press of a button.
The items have made headlines in recent years after popping up on various roads across Australia.
However, drivers who use the stealth curtains with the hope of dodging a speeding ticket, or to save themselves a few bucks on a toll road, risk a huge penalty if caught.
The 22-year-old Lexus driver was stopped at Stanmore and police found the device was wired through the vehicle to the control module in the centre console.
Police told Yahoo News the driver was issued infringements for driving a motor vehicle with a speed-measuring evasion article fitted, with fines for the offence totalling $2200 and he copped nine demerit points.
The driver was also fined another $140 for his car not complying with vehicle standards.
The ‘Stealth Plate Curtain’ was seized by police. Source: Traffic and Highway Patrol Command – NSW Police Force
“The driver offered many excuses for having the device fitted to his vehicle, such as having no other way to attach his registration plates, and to cover up imperfections in the bright blue vinyl wrap covering his vehicle,” NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol explained online.
Lexus caught again after viral video
People online couldn’t help but point out that the distinct car bears a striking resemblance to another bright blue Lexus that was filmed appearing to use the plates on a Sydney toll road in August.
Police confirmed to Yahoo News that it was the same car.
Video footage of the same blue Lexus using the device to obscure number plates on a toll road went viral in August. Source: Dash Cam Owners Australia
Footage published by Dash Cam Owners Australia shows the same blue Lexus driving along the busy road with its back number plate still visible.
However, as the driver passed under the toll gates, an automatic black curtain slid up to shield it.
The driver’s sneaky strategy to avoid paying the toll charge was called out by others, with the man behind the camera labelling the person behind the wheel “dodgy”.
According to Transport for NSW, number plates must be permanently fitted to vehicles in an upright position, parallel to the vehicle’s axles, and must not be obscured, defaced or otherwise illegible.
The numbers on the plate must be clearly visible from any point up to 20 metres away, and within an arc of 45 degrees from the surface of the plate above or to either side of the vehicle, the government agency’s website states.
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