Sun. Dec 22nd, 2024

BMW Decked in Christmas Lights Pulled Over in Australia

In the spirit of the festive season, a BMW adorned with hundreds of Christmas lights caught the attention of Victorian highway patrol officers on Melbourne’s Monash Freeway in the early hours of November 30. While the car wasn’t speeding, its dazzling display was deemed potentially hazardous, distracting other drivers on the road.

Officers Sen Con Josh Scarcella and his colleague were patrolling for speeding vehicles when they encountered the brightly lit car. The driver, heading toward Chapel Street, had wrapped the vehicle in approximately 1,000 pieces of tape to secure the lights, powered by a dual battery system with a 240-volt inverter and extension lead.

Despite the festive intentions, the officers classified the vehicle as defective, a designation that could have resulted in a $790 fine and a defect notice requiring the driver to remove the lights and have the car inspected. However, in the spirit of Christmas, the officers decided to issue only a warning.

“He said, ‘I’ve been waiting for this to happen, to see how I go,’” Scarcella recounted, adding that the driver and passenger were in good spirits, joking with the officers about their holiday-inspired ride.

Removing the lights immediately proved impossible due to the strong adhesive tape, which risked damaging the car’s paint. Instead, the driver promised to remove them at home using a heat gun. Scarcella requested photographic proof of the lights’ removal within 24 hours. True to their word, the driver sent a selfie of the dismantling process just an hour later.

“It was an educational piece for them,” Scarcella explained. “Having those lights on a freeway is a bit of a distraction.”

This festive encounter highlighted the delicate balance between holiday cheer and road safety, with Victorian police opting for leniency in a season of goodwill.

Related Post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *