Police are cracking down on defective vehicles after a rise in the number of unsafe vehicles on the roads.

Sergeant Matt Carroll from Griffith Highway Patrol said officers regularly enforced compliance and issued defect notices for a range of easily preventable offences.

“It’s for things like cracked windscreens, bald tyres, and blown headlights but also steering issues, poor brakes and frayed seatbelts,” Sergeant Carroll said.

“A simple weekly check of the overall condition of your vehicle will reveal any potential problems and you can get them repaired before we issue you a defect notice.”

In the past financial year, police across NSW issued 19,998 defects to vehicles for various violations such as mechanical, brakes, tyres, fuel and oil leaks, head and brake lamps, and other faults.

This number was up from 19,283 issued the financial year before.

“People should take the time to check their fluids – oil, coolant and washer fluid – as well as their tyres, lights and blinkers,” Sergeant Carroll said.

“Tyres don’t always wear evenly and while they may look okay on the edge, they might be bald on the inside. 

“You need to be replacing your tyres before the reach the tread-wear indicators.”

People issued with a defect receive an infringement notice for $108, and are given a notice to have the vehicle repaired.

Those receiving a minor defect notice will have a yellow label affixed to the windscreen of the vehicle, allowing between 24 hours and 10 days for repair. Those receiving a major defect will be directed to drive to the nearest place of repair for immediate rectification.

Vehicles considered dangerous will be given a red defect, and will be towed away for immediate repair. In each case, owners will have to take their vehicles to an authorised inspection station for clearance of the defect.

Those found driving vehicles after defects have been applied and not corrected face further penalties between $325 and $433, carrying between one and three demerits points.

Acting Assistant Traffic and Highway Patrol commissioner Stuart Smith said police will continue to ensure road safety is everyone’s priority. 

“Those driving any vehicle accept full responsibility once they turn the ignition on,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith said.

“Defective vehicles on our roads pose significant threats to other road users, particularly in heavy braking situations, where poor brakes and tyre wear will most likely lead to a serious injury or fatal crash on our roads,” he said.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith said that much of road safety is about personal responsibility.

“If you can’t be responsible for your vehicle, and your driving, police will hold you accountable. The identification of defective vehicles is about putting those cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles off the road before a crash happens, for the benefit of preventing serious injury, or even death.”