Videos showing cars covered in Christmas lights have been going viral.
@ch0pp422 favourite time of the year 🎄 #christmaslights ♬ original sound - 🎶🎧
A TikTok user named Charlie shared a video of his BMW sedan covered in lights.
“This actually looks amazing, and would totally put me in the holiday spirit,” one TikToker wrote.
“Too fast, too festive,” another wrote.
However, some were concerned about the legality of the lights.
“Is this actually legal here in Australia?” one person asked.
“Meanwhile my mum put her Christmas lights in her back window and got pulled over by the cops and told to take them down as only emergency services can have flashing lights,” another said.
Fines for breaching vehicle standards and safety differ from state to state.
In New South Wales, “any light fitted to or in the driver’s vehicle to dazzle or in a way that is likely to dazzle a user” can earn a driver up to 20 penalty points, and carries a maximum fine of $2305.
In Queensland, fitting Christmas lights to a car can render it non-compliant with the state’s modification laws.
This can land drivers a maximum of 20 points, and can cost up to $3226 in fines.
South Australian drivers who are found to be using “lights to dazzle other road users” can cop a fine of $393 and one demerit point.
Western Australian drivers can equip their car with an additional four driving lights, provided they are white in colour, front-facing and “must not obstruct or interfere with the light emitted by any of the headlights, indicators or parking lights fitted to the vehicle.”
Breaching this road rule can see the driver cop a $100 fine.
The rules are similar in the Northern Territory, allowing drivers to add four additional lights, provided they don’t block a driver’s view of the road. It is a $50 fine for drivers found breaking this law.
ACT rules state that drivers cannot use additional lights attached to their vehicle if they are driving “on a length of road in a built-up area”, 200m behind another car or from an oncoming vehicle, with a maximum penalty of $3200.
Tasmanian road rules state drivers are not allowed to use “any light fitted to or in the driver’s vehicle” that can dazzle another road user. This holds a maximum penalty of $1010.
