Undercover RTA Officers!

Originally Posted by Dave_au

But these powers extend to all vehicles - have a look at defecting - http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/n...97387/s26.html

You keep listing NSW documents so I'll keep my comments to NSW. I don't know what the rules and regs are for other states, and suggest people in those states check it for themselves.

Dave

That link does not mention anything about the power to stop vehicles.
If you read section 1 by itself you may be right

1) A police officer, or the Authority, may inspect a registrable vehicle (whether or not on a road or road related area) for the purpose of deciding its identity, condition or the status of any registration or permit relating to the vehicle.

BUTsection 1A and 1B clearly state

(1A) A registered operator or owner of, or any person in charge of or having the custody of or selling or having in possession for sale or otherwise of the registrable vehicle must afford the police officer or the Authority all reasonable facilities for making such an inspection.
Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.

for sale, not driving along, not anywhere unless the vehicle is for sale

(1B) Without limiting subsection (1), for the purposes mentioned in that subsection and in connection with any inspection, a police officer or the Authority may:
(a) enter in or on the vehicle on a road or road related area, or
(b) enter in or on any premises ordinarily used for the sale of registrable vehicles and in or on such a vehicle on those premises, or
(c) enter in or on any other premises if the officer or the Authority has reasonable cause to believe a registrable vehicle is for sale, held in possession for sale or in a damaged condition as a result of an accident, and may enter in or on any such vehicle on those premises.

part a above means if the vehicle is stopped, the rta do not have the authority to stop the car. Why do you think in the week leading up to summernats the HWP around marulan round up cars and escort them to the marulan defect station, it is because the rta do not have the authority to pull cars over, only heavy vehicles.
part b above refers to premises that are used for the sale of vehicles, this means car yards, not houses.
part c covers everywhere else IF the car is for sale, IF the car is damaged due to an accident.


In short, there is nothing in that link you mentioned that gives rta inspectors the power to pull vehicles (apart from trucks) over. Try not to read more into legal documents that are there, that is how misconceptions begin.

cheers