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The Australian
5 hours ago
- The Australian
Viral parking trick could land Aussies in jail, lawyer warns
Australians are being warned against a viral parking trick that can lead to serious consequences. A law expert is warning motorists of the significant penalties that come with a growing trend that sees people wiping away chalk-marked tyres from parked vehicles. Council parking rangers often use chalk to determine if a driver has overstayed in a timed parking space. However, this deceptive tactic is becoming increasingly common for avoiding parking fines. Criminal lawyer Avinash Singh from Astor Legal is warning of potential fines and even imprisonment after a TikTok video with over a million views showed footage of someone dousing water on chalk-marked car tyres. A viral TikTok shows someone dousing water on chalk-marked tyres. Picture: wxirua/TikTok MORE: 'Like Tinder': Huge problem with Aussie cars While some online users praised the act, Avinash Singh says anyone caught in the act opens themselves up to fines worth over $750 or a penalty of up to 25 years imprisonment. 'Removing chalk off a tyre could be seen as attempting to pervert the course of justice. This is because the removal of chalk would hinder a parking ranger from carrying out their duties and prevent them from issuing a fine,' Avinash said. A city ranger giving parking infringement notices to street parked cars. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley Although there isn't a national law against removing chalk, each state and territory has specific regulations concerning the interference with official enforcement tools. In South Australia, the practice of removing chalk has become so widespread that the state has applied a specific law addressing the removal of chalk. 'In South Australia, a specific law had to be introduced due to how common removing chalk became,' Avinash said. Under Section 174AB of the Road Traffic Act 1961, it states it's an offence to remove a parking inspector's chalk from a vehicle. The maximum fine for this is $750. In New South Wales, the act could fall under Section 319 of the Crimes Act 1900, which addresses attempts to pervert the course of justice, carrying a penalty of up to 14 years imprisonment. MORE: 'Truly impressive': Australia's Westworld unveiled A viral TikTok shows someone dousing water on chalk-marked tyres. Picture: wxirua/TikTok A viral TikTok shows someone dousing water on chalk-marked tyres. Picture: wxirua/TikTok Similarly, in Queensland and Western Australia, attempting to obstruct justice under their respective Criminal Codes can result in up to 7 years imprisonment. While in Victoria, the common law offence of attempting to pervert the course of justice can lead to a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment. While law experts and council officers aren't amused, there are legal defences motorists can use if they are caught removing chalk marks. Avinash explains further that the most common legal defence if an offender is caught is proving that they were not the person who removed the chalk. A city ranger is seen putting a parking fine on a car. Picture: NewsWire / Jenny Evans MORE: 'Words are f***': China's Aus turf war explodes 'A parking ranger would need to witness you removing the chalk or have some sort of video or CCTV footage showing you removing the chalk. 'Without this, they could not prove that another person had removed the chalk, and the charge would be dismissed.' Avinash also explains that if a driver has been issued a parking fine, they can contest it and request evidence that they were timed correctly. 'This is usually in the form of timestamped photos that a parking ranger has taken,' Avinash said. James Chung Digital Content Creator James is a Digital Content Creator at and is part of the News Corp Australia's digital real estate team. His previous experience includes working for Sky News Australia.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Netflix crocodile wrangler Matt Wright pleads not guilty to perverting justice over Chris Wilson's fatal NT crash
Celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright has pleaded not guilty to the attempting to pervert the course of justice. Picture / Pema Tamang, NCA NewsWire Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Already a subscriber? Sign in here Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. Netflix crocodile wrangler Matt Wright pleads not guilty to perverting justice over Chris Wilson's fatal NT crash Celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright has pleaded not guilty to the attempting to pervert the course of justice. Picture / Pema Tamang, NCA NewsWire Celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright has pleaded not guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice, three years after the death of co-star Chris Wilson. The Netflix star formally entered pleas of not guilty at the Northern Territory Supreme Court in Darwin on Monday, with a trial set to get under way on July 30. The charges relate to a helicopter crash in remote western Arnhem Land in February 2022 that killed Wilson, a close friend of Wright. The crash occurred while Wilson is alleged to have been suspended underneath a Robinson R44 helicopter on a 30m sling during a crocodile egg collecting mission. The pilot, 28-year-old Sebastian Robinson, suffered permanent injuries as a result of the crash.
The Australian
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Australian
Two drivers seriously injured after West Gate Freeway crash
A major arterial road in Melbourne has been closed after a 4WD towing a horse float collided with a truck and a car. The three-vehicle incident unfolded on the West Gate Fwy about 12.10pm on Saturday between Montague and Power Sts. Police say the Montague St on ramp has been blocked and traffic is being diverted. There are significant delays with multiple inbound lanes shut down. Picture: VicTraffic Drivers of the 4WD and the car suffered serious injuries and have been taken to hospital, while the truck driver was not injured. No animals were injured in the incident. All inbound lanes between Montague St and the Burnley Tunnel have been closed, according to VicTraffic. Drivers are being urged to use Montague St, City Rd and Power St or Kings Way and Dandenong Rd. Inbown lanes of the West Gate have been closed. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui 'The exact cause of the collision is yet to be determined at this stage,' a Victoria Police spokeswoman said. 'Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dashcam footage or with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.' Liam Beatty Journalist Liam Beatty is a court reporter with NCA NewsWire. He has previously worked in newsrooms in Victoria and Western Australia. Liam Beatty
Courier-Mail
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Courier-Mail
‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. A new report has found Aussie drivers are increasingly disabling safety systems found in modern cars which are designed to prevent serious crashes. An analysis by insurance company AAMI Insurance found a surprising one in five drivers admitted to turning these safety features off. It comes as new claims data, analysing more than 480,000 claims, from AAMI found nose to tail crashes were the most common, with afternoons being the worst time of day. Drivers are being urged to keep ADAS enabled. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard MORE: 'Musk on mute' as pet project crashes AAMI Motor Prevention Manager Mary Kennedy, says modern safety systems are designed to protect road users and encourages Aussies to embrace new technologies instead of turning them off. 'In-car safety features aren't just gadgets, they're designed to help protect us and make our roads safer,' Mary said. 'Many of the safety features drivers are turning off, like collision warning and automatic emergency braking, are really effective at preventing these types of crashing, along with many others, including reversing into another vehicle or object such as a trolley or bollard.' Of those Australians who confessed to disabling in-car safety driving features, the overwhelming majority, 69 per cent, cited that they found the systems 'annoying', 'distracting', or 'too sensitive'. Nissan Pathfinder LDW MORE: 'So lost': Huge issue hurting Aus drivers most Additionally, 23 per cent of drivers believed they 'don't need' in-car safety features, while 13 per cent expressed concerns that they just 'don't trust' them. The most commonly dialled-down or turned-off safety features were lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision warning (see table below). This trend is particularly concerning, given that more than half of Australian drivers (59 per cent) agree that safety features improve road safety and reduce the severity and frequency of accidents. Subaru Infrared Driver Monitoring System detects drowsy drivers and distracted drivers on mobile phones. Picture: Supplied. Blind Spot Monitor warning in a side mirror MORE: Huge change coming to Aussie roads AAMI's claims data further supports this, showing that ADAS-enabled vehicles are less likely to be involved in an accident when compared to vehicles without this technology. When asked readers earlier this year whether modern cars are becoming too annoying and complicated, 94 per cent of the 10,102 voters agreed. Arthur, one commenter, said 'Lane keeping is useless on Aussie regional and rural roads. Your try to stay out of potholes and trucks squeezes you and the car jerks you back into the trenches.' Subaru says its next-generation EyeSight technology will automatically call for help following a crash. Australia has been slower to adopt driver monitoring systems. Picture: Supplied. While another user said 'Modern cars are intrusive and annoying.' Mary Kennedy is strongly urging drivers to keep Advanced Driver Assistance Systems activated in cars that support it and to adapt to the evolving changes in modern cars. 'Drivers should understand and use these safety features to enhance their own awareness, reduce the risk of human error, and avoid getting into an accident in the first place,' Mary said. 'We know through our claims data that Friday continues to be the worst day of the week, and afternoons are the most dangerous time on our roads.' Originally published as 'Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
Daily Telegraph
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Telegraph
‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. A new report has found Aussie drivers are increasingly disabling safety systems found in modern cars which are designed to prevent serious crashes. An analysis by insurance company AAMI Insurance found a surprising one in five drivers admitted to turning these safety features off. It comes as new claims data, analysing more than 480,000 claims, from AAMI found nose to tail crashes were the most common, with afternoons being the worst time of day. Drivers are being urged to keep ADAS enabled. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard MORE: 'Musk on mute' as pet project crashes AAMI Motor Prevention Manager Mary Kennedy, says modern safety systems are designed to protect road users and encourages Aussies to embrace new technologies instead of turning them off. 'In-car safety features aren't just gadgets, they're designed to help protect us and make our roads safer,' Mary said. 'Many of the safety features drivers are turning off, like collision warning and automatic emergency braking, are really effective at preventing these types of crashing, along with many others, including reversing into another vehicle or object such as a trolley or bollard.' Of those Australians who confessed to disabling in-car safety driving features, the overwhelming majority, 69 per cent, cited that they found the systems 'annoying', 'distracting', or 'too sensitive'. Nissan Pathfinder LDW MORE: 'So lost': Huge issue hurting Aus drivers most Additionally, 23 per cent of drivers believed they 'don't need' in-car safety features, while 13 per cent expressed concerns that they just 'don't trust' them. The most commonly dialled-down or turned-off safety features were lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision warning (see table below). This trend is particularly concerning, given that more than half of Australian drivers (59 per cent) agree that safety features improve road safety and reduce the severity and frequency of accidents. Subaru Infrared Driver Monitoring System detects drowsy drivers and distracted drivers on mobile phones. Picture: Supplied. Blind Spot Monitor warning in a side mirror MORE: Huge change coming to Aussie roads AAMI's claims data further supports this, showing that ADAS-enabled vehicles are less likely to be involved in an accident when compared to vehicles without this technology. When asked readers earlier this year whether modern cars are becoming too annoying and complicated, 94 per cent of the 10,102 voters agreed. Arthur, one commenter, said 'Lane keeping is useless on Aussie regional and rural roads. Your try to stay out of potholes and trucks squeezes you and the car jerks you back into the trenches.' Subaru says its next-generation EyeSight technology will automatically call for help following a crash. Australia has been slower to adopt driver monitoring systems. Picture: Supplied. While another user said 'Modern cars are intrusive and annoying.' Mary Kennedy is strongly urging drivers to keep Advanced Driver Assistance Systems activated in cars that support it and to adapt to the evolving changes in modern cars. 'Drivers should understand and use these safety features to enhance their own awareness, reduce the risk of human error, and avoid getting into an accident in the first place,' Mary said. 'We know through our claims data that Friday continues to be the worst day of the week, and afternoons are the most dangerous time on our roads.' Originally published as 'Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
