Driver's $410 fine after common mistake on long road trip: 'Surely not'
The woman had just visited her grandmother in hospital when she was caught in the wrong by a mobile phone detection camera.
A driver's momentary lapse of judgement on a long road trip has cost her dearly after she was caught out by a mobile phone detection camera. The Aussie woman was driving home to Sydney after visiting her sick grandmother in hospital four hours away in Bathurst, NSW when the camera captured an image of her wearing her seatbelt incorrectly earlier this month.
The woman told Yahoo News Australia that at some point during the long journey, her seatbelt became "loose" and had fallen to the side of her arm instead of firmly across her shoulder.
"It’s over my arm, but it's loose," she told Yahoo after copping the eye-watering $410 fine and three demerit points. Posting images of the offence of improperly wearing her seatbelt, the woman said "surely not".
"I think I [was] a bit tired at this stage and might have leaned my head near the window to get some fresh air," she told Yahoo. While the woman admitted that she was the driver, it wasn't her car so the owner of the vehicle had to transfer the offence to her driver's licence.
"I'm the driver in the wrong but the fine was issued to the owner of the car so he's had to transfer it to me," she said.
Authorities crack down on seatbelt offences across Australia
The woman's fine comes just months after NSW authorities began using mobile phone detection cameras to capture seatbelt offences. Shockingly, just 21 days after the cameras were switched on to target the new road rule on July 1, 11,400 fines were issued.
The offence attracts a $410 fine and the loss of three demerit points on a driver's licence if they or their passengers are caught.
Previously speaking to Yahoo, Avinash Singh, Principal Lawyer at Astor Legal, revealed many people don’t realise the seatbelt cameras don’t just check people are wearing a seatbelt, but also that they are wearing the seatbelts correctly. And it could be the reason why so many people are being fined during the rollout of new cameras.
"[People] often believe that as long as the seatbelt is clicked in, this is sufficient, however, it is not and you can be fined $410 and three demerit points for wearing your seatbelt like this".
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Across the country, authorities are cracking down on a multitude of road offences using the AI-powered speed, mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras.
Queensland has introduced the harshest financial penalties for misbehaving drivers, with one dad copping a $1,209 fine after he was caught with two young children in the back seat without their seatbelts fixed correctly. The hefty fine also comes with 4 demerit points.
In Tasmania, the rollout of portable road cameras has even been forced under "review" after several suspected arson attacks on the devices.
Since being switched on in South Australia last month, authorities have already snapped almost 31,000 drivers using their phones with 30,754 warning letters being sent out to motorists.
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