[ad_1]
Hundreds of drivers have successfully fought heavy fines after being caught not wearing a seatbelt by hi-tech mobile cameras.
Some 335 fines handed out to Queensland drivers have been withdrawn and torn up since December 2 while another 69 are still before the courts.
The hi-tech cameras were rolled out across the state in November 2021 and led to 56,342 fines being issued in the first 13 months.
Some 33,288 of those infringements were breaches by front seat passengers who were not properly wearing a seatbelt.
The successful challenges come as another driver from Victoria lifted the lid on how motorists could avoid paying their speeding fines by using a little-known trick.
Seatbelts remain one of the most important safety devices in the car and reduce the chances of fatal injury by 74 per cent.
A driver was fined after the front-seat passenger was caught holding a child on their lap (pictured)
The installation of hi-tech cameras (pictured) has seen a huge increase in fines, with majority catching drivers or front seat passengers not wearing a seatbelt
A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman said an infringement notice for not wearing a seatbelt could be discontinued for several reasons – primarily when additional information or evidence was put forward, Courier Mail reported.
This could include medical certificates relating to the motorist’s ability to wear a properly adjusted seatbelt, or further information about the type of seatbelts in the vehicle.
The TMR spokesman said submissions could also be made about the circumstances of the offending that ‘might give rise to a defence’.
In other cases, the person who received the fine could also nominate the actual driver who committed the offence to receive the penalty.
‘Infringement notices for camera-detected offences are issued to the registered operator recorded for the vehicle. The cameras’ images are filtered by Artificial Intelligence software,’ the TMR spokesman said.
‘If a possible offence is detected, the image is independently reviewed by two authorised officers to determine if an offence has been committed.
‘If an offence cannot be identified, an infringement notice is not issued.’
The driver (pictured) revealed how he got out of his $250 speeding fine after going 68km/h in a 60km/h zone
The spokesman said motorists who felt they were incorrectly fined could view their images by logging into the TMR online services portal, or they could submit an online inquiry to have the matter reviewed.
It comes as a driver has shared online how he managed to avoid paying his speeding fine while still remaining on the right side of the law.
Adam Metwally said he was driving 68km/h in a 60km/h zone when he was issued a fine by police in Victoria.
He revealed how a driver could have their speeding fine downgraded to an official warning by using a little-known government website.
Mr Metwally shared his tip in a TikTok video captioned: ‘Ever wanted to get out of a speeding fine? Here’s how!’.
‘Here’s what I got recently’, he said, showing a picture of his speeding fine.
‘And here’s the result – your infringement notice has been withdrawn in favour of this official warning.’
‘Want to know how I did that?’ he asked.
He then goes on to give a step by step breakdown, telling viewers to go to the official Fines Victoria website and click on the ‘request-a-review’ page.
The request-a-review service allows drivers to dispute their speeding fine under certain points (stock image)
‘Put in your notice, scroll down to official warnings, click [on the hyperlink] and if the speed is less than 10km/h you can argue the following points: exceptional circumstances, extenuating circumstances or good driving record.’
‘In my case I did good driving record, because, you know, I’m an angel’, he jokes.
Mr Metwally continues to break down the life hack by instructing viewers to click two boxes under a subheading reading ‘more information’ and then requesting a review.
He then shares a copy of the message he wrote as a part of his request.
‘Here’s what I wrote. And that’s what got me out of a $250 speeding fine,’ he says.
Fines Victoria describes the option on it’s website as an opportunity to ‘have your fine reviewed by the agency that issued your fine .. if you believe you have been unfairly issued with a fine or that there is a valid reason your fine should be withdrawn’.
‘After you have completed and submitted your form, your fine will be placed on hold and further fees will not be added.’
Drivers looking to use this hack to avoid paying their fine should be mindful they are only able to request one internal review per infringement notice.
[ad_2]
Source link
