09/03/2020
Queensland (and some interstate) 4WD owners will remember approximately 12 months ago when Queensland Police Service undertook Operation Lift, which was a police training activity to target modified, high-lift 4WDs, and was intended to defect vehicles which were well outside the limits of Transport and Main Road's allowable modification standards.
Many 4WD owners ended up with vehicle defect notices, including minor modified vehicles which were equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The early versions of TMR's Vehicle Standards Instruction G19.1 (Minor Modifications), stated vehicle lifts of 75mm were acceptable under self-certification, if the operation of ESC was not affected. However, later versions of VSI G19 were updated on the TMR website to say ESC vehicles are restricted to 50mm lift in suspension only, yet there was no communication to the 4WD community, general public, or a parliamentary review of these changes, and QPS were using the updated guidelines to defect vehicles, and in some cases, issue Type 2 Anti-Hooning offences or vehicle impoundment.
While Mark Bailey MP updated the LS9 and LS10 suspension codes to allow a maximum 150mm lift for non-ESC vehicles, the lift was also increase to 75mm on ESC, however there were several years where ESC was 75, then 50, then back to 75, and 4WD owners were being retrospectively defected based on conflicting guidance from TMR, and QPS interpretation. TMR also gave AAAA verbal agreement that no enforcement action would be undertaken against vehicles which had ESC modifications, however this information appears not to have made its way to QPS, and people were still being defected.
We also have in writing that TMR did not undertake ANY of their own ESC testing in order to change the LS9 and LS10 codes which Mark Bailey MP approved, yet every time we've approached TMR to discuss modifications on ESC equipped vehicles, the industry / community are expected by TMR to undertake extensive (and destructive) steering robot testing, which costs up to $50,000 per vehicle to ensure the ESC is not affected, and there is only one testing facility in Australia, located in Melbourne (Bosch). While we appreciate the change in position for ESC equipped vehicles up to 50mm increase in tyre diameter, 75mm remains the total lift for ESC equipped vehicles, as the exhaustive ESC steering robot testing is still mandated by TMR, and its not the same across all Australian states and territories.
Transport and Main Roads have conceded that people should not have been defected for ESC equipped vehicles, and are willing to review all infringements / defect notices which were issued to 4WDs incorrectly, so they can be validated with QPS, and have the tickets cancelled. THIS IS NOT JUST FOR THE PERIOD OF OPERATION LIFT.
So if you were given a ticket or defect notice for increasing tyre size in diameter up to 50mm on an ESC equipped 4WD, then email a copy of the infringement, or the infringement number to TMR Vehicle Standards at "[email protected]" and ask to have it reviewed for cancellation.
If you were incorrectly given a ticket or defect notice for your ESC equipped 4WD, and you have already paid the fine, still email a copy of the infringement, or the infringement number to TMR Vehicle Standards at "[email protected]" and ask to have it reviewed, in order to have the infringement fine refunded in full, remove any demerit points on your license, and to remove the infringement from your list of driving offences.
The unfortunate issue, is Traffic Infringements and Defect Notices don't always have the exact details written on them, and they may be vague, such as "Drive Defective Vehicle"... So while you may have been defected incorrectly for an ESC modification, QPS may dispute the reason they issued the ticket, if it doesn't say "Tyres on ESC 4WD are 44mm"... This is an issue we have raised with QPS previously, were tickets are not providing the correct information to drivers, in order to recall technical details for the infringement.
If in doubt, still send in a copy of your infringement details to TMR Vehicle Standards so it can be formally reviewed.
Unfortunately it has been left to 4WD Queensland Association to advise the general public and get the information disseminated, so please share and discuss amongst your communities / forums.
4WD Australia Association
Four Wheel Drive Victoria
4WD NSW & ACT
4WD South Australia
WA 4WD Association
4WD Tasmania
Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association
Department of Transport and Main Roads (Queensland)
Queensland Police Service
Qld 4x4 Refund Lift Fines
Superior Engineering
Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party
LNP - Liberal National Party
Queensland Labor
Andrew Laming MP
Steve Minnikin MP
Trevor Watts
Tim Nicholls MP
Luke Howarth
Nick Dametto MP
Katter's Australian Party
Mark Bailey MP - Labor for Miller
Mark Ryan MP
Deb Frecklington MP
Don Brown MP
Australian 4WD Action
TJM 4x4 Equipped
Opposite Lock 4WD & Vehicle Accessories
ARB 4x4 Accessories
Pat Callinan's 4x4 Adventures
Roothy
Roger Vickery
4wd TV
Aussie 4WD
