Is it illegal to drive without a bonnet?

The laws around driving roadworthy, compliant vehicles imply that, yes, having a bonnet on your car is a legal requirement in Australia for safety reasons.

While it might be tempting to get on the road without a bonnet, as it doesn't seem to be an essential part of your vehicle's safety, just imagine how hazardous it could be for someone to come into contact with an open engine bay during a collision. 

While the South Australian government’s page on chassis and body modifications doesn’t give direct advice on driving without a bonnet, it does advise that modifications to bonnets must be made in a way that “minimises the likelihood of injury to a person accidentally making contact with the vehicle”. 

This leads us to assume that driving without any bonnet at all would definitely be seen as a safety risk by SA police and in other states in Australia. Safety is what road authorities are generally thinking about first and foremost when they regulate and police vehicles for roadworthiness. 

In New South Wales there is no exact legislation prohibiting driving without a bonnet but there are offences for driving a vehicle that doesn’t comply to standards of roadworthiness; according to NSW Roads & Maritime Services’ fact sheet on general driving offences, you’re risking a $110 fine and two demerit points if you take a generally unroadworthy vehicle on the road (the penalties are higher, obviously, for more serious safety hazards on your car but driving without a bonnet isn’t directly targeted as a serious safety offence). 

Like NSW, in Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory you can assume driving without a bonnet would put you at risk of getting pulled over by police. According to VicRoads information on fines and penalties, if you take a vehicle on the road that doesn’t comply with roadworthiness standards in Vic, you’re risking a $396 fine. 

Similarly, the ACT government’s extensive traffic infringement document lists multiple offences for using unroadworthy vehicles on the road. 

According to the Tasmanian Transport’s traffic offences list, which includes an extensive list of compliance offences, you can be fined $159 for failing to comply with “bonnet-securing” requirements. In Queensland, according to the state government’s demerit points schedule, you’re risking a $126 fine. 

We couldn’t find any information on driving without a bonnet on Western Australia’s road authority website but if you’d like to know more you can call the WA Demerit point hotline on 1300 720 111.

Likewise, the Northern Territory’s traffic and penalties information page is limited but when in doubt it’s best not to tempt fate and put yourself and others at risk by driving without a bonnet.

It’s also important to think about how driving without a bonnet could affect your insurance regardless of which state you’re driving in. 

You should always consult your specific insurance agreement for insurance advice, but in general you should also be aware of the fact that driving without a bonnet could definitely affect your insurance. Any evidence that your vehicle has been modified without your insurance provider’s knowledge and approval, and any indication that you’ve been driving a car that isn’t considered safe and roadworthy, could void your insurance contact. 

​This article is not intended as legal advice. You should check with your local road authority to verify the information written here is suitable to your situation before driving in this manner.

​Have you ever risked it and driven without a bonnet? Tell us in the comments below.