Aussie driver stunned by cop's question about tiny detail in his car: 'Keep your car as legal as you can'
- Motorist was pulled over for a breath test
- Cops asked him about a sticker
- READ MORE: Urgent warning for Aussies over little-known road rule
A tradie has issued a warning for motorists after he was pulled over by the cops and asked about a missing gear shift sticker.
Nathan Swenson, who works as a carpenter, was driving his Toyota Hilux ute when he was asked to stop for a random breath test in Brisbane last Wednesday.
Mr Swenson uploaded a video to Tiktok last week to describe the confusing moment an officer asked him about the sticker after he didn't see it on the gear knob.
'He's walking around the luxy, comes back to the car... looks inside and says 'where's you're H-sticker?'
'I was like, 'brother what is a H sticker?'
The officer explained he was referring to the sticker that displays the shift pattern on the knob of the gear stick.
The stickers are often found on the top of gear shifts inside manual transmission vehicles to indicate the different gear movements.
The shift pattern is shaped like the letter H, which is how the sticker got its name.
Nathan Swenson (pictured) was stunned when the cops pulled him over in Brisbane last week for a random breath test and asked him about the sticker
Mr Swenson then pointed to the sticker, which was stuck to the console in between the driver's seat before he was allowed to drive off.
He urged motorists to make sure their vehicle complies with all the road rules.
'Keep you car as legal as you can...they even pick you for that small stuff,' he said.
'I was going to take that sticker off when I got the car and I was like no I'm going to leave it there because I know one day... [they're] going to pin me for that'.
Hundreds of commenters expressed their shock after Mr Swenson was questioned about the minor detail.
'Crazy what they can get you for these days,' one person wrote.
'You are the second person recently I've seen them pick on that. I've never heard of that ever,' another person wrote.
'Going to have to get a sticker then. Haven’t had a knob with the shift pattern for nearly a year now,' a third added.
Police asked Mr Swenson where the sticker was before he pointed to the item, which was stuck to a console in between the driver's seat (stock image)
The encounter fueled speculation about whether it is illegal to not have the appropriate sticker on the gear stick.
A Queensland Police spokesman told Yahoo it is no longer an offence if the sticker is missing from the gear stick.
A police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia they are committed to enforcing road safety ruled to ensure motorists travel safely on roads.
'QPS Officers have the discretion to conduct and issue vehicle defect notices if a vehicle or part of a vehicle does not comply with vehicle standards,' the spokesman said.
'If an officer finds a vehicle to be defective, they may issue a defect notice and/or an on-the-spot fine'.
The stickers (pictured) are often found on the top of gear shifts inside manual transmission vehicles to indicate the different gear movements
A Queensland Transport and Main Roads Department spokesman said the sticker does not need to be displayed.
'In Queensland, it is not illegal for the sticker on a manual vehicle’s gear stick to be missing; there is no requirement that any sticker be present,' the spokesman said.
Australian Design Rules, which are a set of government issued vehicle safety regulations, do require gear shifts to be marked.
The stickers can be purchased at major auto parts retailers including Repco and Supercheap Auto.
