An Aussie woman has taken to social media to vent about a fine she received that she didn’t even know existed.
Alice Brennan posted her story on LinkedIn, hoping for support from followers, but was instead met with a rude awakening.
“Surely that’s not right?”
Alice posted a photo on LinkedIn this week, showing herself sitting in the passenger seat of a car with her seatbelt diagonally across her stomach, instead of over the shoulder.
According to Alice, she had no idea the simple mistake could result in such a hefty fine.
“JUST GOT FINED $270 FOR TEMPORARILY WEARING MY SEATBELT LIKE THIS,” the post said.
“Surely that’s not right?”
“Completely ridiculous!”
Commenters on the post were quick to jump to Alice’s defence, questioning the validity of the law.
“Cannot be right,” someone said.
“Wow! That feels so creepy somehow that there is that level of visibility into your vehicle,” one added.
“That’s completely ridiculous! Appeal if you can!” another agreed.
Some shared their own experiences with the rule, and others went so far as to suggest that she take it to court.
“Take it to court and say your boob was sore,” one commenter said.
“Honestly, unless the schematics of seatbelt wearing is legislated, you’ll get off. This has either been picked up by AI (increasingly) or a human who has no discretion (also increasingly).”
“I have a port-a-cath for chemotherapy and the seat belt cuts right across it which is painful at certain times, and impossible while connected to a surefuser. It’s only a matter of time until I cop a fine for the same thing, and have to go through it all with the cops. Do you have a similarly good reason for not wearing the seatbelt properly?” another asked.
“Side note: those seatbelts are made for men’s bodies and have been shown to be harmful to women in some accidents. But don’t let that get in the way of revenue raising…”
“I got pinged for that when my daughter temporarily did the same thing on our way to her soccer game in Brisbane. I didn’t notice til I got the fine,” said a third.
However, one commenter on the post clarified that though it is frustrating, mobile phone detection cameras in NSW began enforcing seatbelt laws on July 1, 2024.
This means that as of recently, fines are being handed out daily for things like unrestrained babies, children sharing seats with adults, and adults either not wearing seatbelts or wearing them incorrectly, starting from $254.
Wearing a seatbelt correctly is defined as when the lap part of the seatbelt sits across the bony section of the hips and under the belly, and the sash runs from the hip to the shoulder, without rising up on your neck or passing across your upper arm.
