LVT Newsletter August

2018
Welcome to the August edition of requirements for roadworthiness upon
the LVT newsletter. inspection.

Each issue will have articles that have Wheel & Tyre Combinations
additional information to help clarify some
of those grey areas that may come up
during roadworthy testing.
We welcome your contributions on topics
you would like to see covered and A VASS certificate or engineers report is
shared with the roadworthy testing NOT a reason to pass a vehicle if it still
community. has ‘reasons for rejection’ according to
We will keep you up to date on what is the NHVIM.
happening in roadworthy tester training If you have a VASS certificate or
and seminars. A common topic is the fitment of
engineers report and feel it is not
aftermarket wheels and tyres on
appropriate please send it in to us, along
Tech Topics vehicles.
with some photos of the vehicle,
Suspension & Mounting Bushes Any wheel & tyre combination must be of highlighting your areas of concern to the
an approved type, and where the sizes email address at the end of this
A concern faced by Licensed Vehicle fall outside of the manufacturers newsletter.
Testers recently has been the use of specifications, the way forward may
bushing ‘void fillers’ that fills the voids on seem unclear. Administration
a standard bush.
Vehicle Standards Information (VSI) 26, Transport Safety Services, on
together with VSI 8 and Vehicle road enforcement and output
Standards Bulletin (VSB) 14, will assist in inspections
determining if wheel & tyre combinations
are compliant, however having a current Transport Safety Services (TSS) inspect
copy of ‘The Tyre & Rim Association of heavy vehicles on the road as well as
Australia Standards Manual’ can save conduct operations on fleets and
valuable time as well. workshops to ensure that vehicles are
roadworthy and are safe for road use.
Little Bit Rusty (Heavy Vehicles) They have the power to defect and
ground vehicles on the side of the road if
they are unsafe.

VicRoads Compliance and Assurance

Group, who you have met through the
audits, also conduct output inspections at
VicRoads Customer Service Centres.
These output inspections allow VicRoads
to review vehicles that have recently
been certified, and confirm if they have
Corrosion on vehicles is a major cause been correctly certified.
for concern and heavy vehicles are no
VicRoads is committed to reduce the
In this instance above, the void filler and exception to this menace. Heavy
road toll, through these activities we are
metal washer would cover the otherwise vehicles are tested to the National Heavy
ensuring that vehicles are correctly
obvious split to a mounting bush. As a Vehicle Inspection Manual (NHVIM). The
certified and safe for road use. If either
roadworthy tester, you need to be NHVIM provides clear ‘reasons for
group find an issue with a recently
satisfied that any component meets the rejection’ for corrosion based on the
certified vehicle the tester can expect a
location and severity of the corrosion.
visit from VicRoads Vehicle Safety and Roadworthy Inspection Photos On Lighter news…
Registration Services team.
This vehicle was recently presented for a
Roadworthy Certificate Errors roadworthy Inspection with an additional
3rd seating position.
Currently VicRoads Customer Service
Centres are experiencing a higher than
usual level of roadworthy certificates with
errors or missing information on them.
It is a requirement that any roadworthy A growing concern highlighted by the
certificate that is issued by a Licensed ongoing efforts of the Compliance and
Vehicle Tester has the correct Assurance Group are the required
information on it and must only be signed photos for any roadworthy inspection.
if that certificate of roadworthiness is We would remind you of the
correct and complete. requirements for photos and that the
An important part of the registration necessary information be contained
process is a valid and correct roadworthy within them. This includes photos of the
certificate and customers may VIN as well as any additional photos
where a reason for rejection has been End Notes
experience unnecessary delays if the
certificate is refused. given. We had successful turnouts for the LVT
These photos need to be backed up on a information nights held at VACC House
As part of our continuing efforts to
suitable hard drive for future reference in Melbourne, and in Bendigo and
improve the customer experience,
and record keeping purposes. Shepparton.
VicRoads are following up any certificate
errors that are identified by the Customer We would also recommend that photos VicRoads in collaboration with the VACC
Service Centres. showing each tyre are very helpful, are planning a series of information
especially where the tyre could be near nights which will be rolled out across the
Freedom Of Information Requests
the limit for roadworthiness state over the next 12 months and will be
VicRoads regularly receives requests to requirements. This may help clear up announced in due course.
provide information through the Freedom any doubts where a possible complaint Thank you to all our Licensed Vehicle
of Information (FOI) Act and the Vehicle may have been lodged. Testers for your ongoing support and
Safety and Registration Services team
Vehicle Safety and Registration Services hard work within the network and
are required to respond within 3 days.
Team will be reviewing and updating the ensuring the safety of motorists & other
At times, we may contact you to request photo requirements in the coming road users throughout Victoria.
copies of photos and roadworthy months. If you have suggestions or topics that
certificates that have been requested
Licensed Vehicle Testers Fees you would like to see covered, then
through this act.
please send us an email and we will put
It is greatly appreciated that you assist Just a quick note that as of the 1st July those suggestions forward for upcoming
us to fulfil this request as soon as 2018, the LVT fees increased in line with issues of this newsletter.
possible and help in our commitment to the Consumer Price Index. These fees
are currently listed on the VicRoads Our Contact Information
providing this service to the public.
website within the Business & Industry Our email address is
section. [email protected]
The Roadworthy Bookshop number is Our direct phone number is
8391 3255. (03) 9854 2469
 August 2018

Licenced Vehicle Tester Bulletin August 2018

Changes to the Road Safety Vehicle • 20% for all other light vehicles. An example of this can be
found below.
Regulations 2009 (RSVR)
Victoria has recently amended its safety regulations for light
vehicles (Gross Vehicle Mass not exceeding 4.5 tonnes), to
ensure alignment with the national standards administered by
the National Transport Commission (NTC).
The majority of the amended regulations are identical to the
existing rules with only a few key changes. The following are a
summary of the changes.

Window tinting
The window tinting requirements are not changed for vehicles
only fitted with one side rear vision mirror.
Figure 2 – Example of tinting requirements on passenger vehicles
Provided that at least a side rear vision mirror is fitted to each
side of a vehicle, the minimum visible light transmittance (VLT) Additional headlights
for windows located behind the driver (behind the B pillar) The change to additional headlights is to formalise the
changes to: allowance of LED light bars which technically count as one
• 0% for vehicles primarily designed for the carriage of light.
goods, provided that the vehicle has at least 4 wheels and Additional headlights will no longer have to be fitted in pairs. Up
a GVM over 1 tonne examples can be found below, or to 4 additional headlights will be allowed to be fitted to a
vehicle, provided that they are fitted in a way so that they are
facing forward and symmetrical in relation to the vehicle’s
centre line. The other requirements such as lighting operation
are not changed.
Brake lights pre-1973 vehicles
To retain the design value of vintage and historical vehicles
manufactured before 1 January 1973, a light fitted to a vehicle
that has dual functions as a brake light and a direction indicator
light will be treated as a brake light.
The change does not affect vehicles manufactured after 1st
January 1973.

Figure 1 – Example of tinting requirements on commercial

vehicles. Note vans cannot have seats behind the driver/B pillar.