[NSW] First Ever Speeding Ticket after Driving for 20+ Years: (

lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:15
Last edited 20/08/2021 - 13:53 by 1 other user

Hi Guys,

So I got my first ever speeding ticket, I have been driving for 20+ years. It was during a work day a couple of months ago, I was catching up with an ex-work colleague and near his work location (an area i dont usually drive through). After a late lunch, he had wanted to go do some grocery shopping as it was in the same area where we had lunch and he doesnt drive. After which i was driving him back to his workplace. I hadnt realised but it had switched over to school zone period and was 2:33pm. We were on a major road (3 lanes each way, 70-80km/h), Being a couple of months ago I dont remember if i had clocked it was past 2:30pm at the time but according to the photos I got from RTA, there were cars all around me on the road including cars in front on all 3 lanes. The only difference I can see is between photo 1 and 2, I had gotten a bit closer to the cars in front of me so i presume I was catching up to them and hence had gone over the 40k/h speed limit or they had all been going over 40 as well. I was apparently clocked at 47km/h.

Pretty disappointed as i had always been careful about speeding but somehow must have messed up this time with it being a new area and I usually dont have a late lunch that goes till school zone periods. Also disappointed as by the photos i dont think I would have continued speeding as i would have hit the car in front, so i must have only been speeding for a couple of seconds to catch up to them but sadly that must have been in the school zone and where the cameras are.

I asked for leniency and was told they never give it for anything besides a normal speeding ticket (mine is classified speeding in school zone). I remember on some of the News Shows, they always had "lawyers / experts" come on and say for more accurate judgement of each individual case, you should take it to court as a lot of times the judge will see it different to the standard responses you get from trying to get leniency online. Has anyone ever taken minor speeding offences to court?

I am of 2 minds on whether i should just take it on the chin but it means i lose my 20yr+ good speeding record or take it to court and see what the judge says? If I had been clearly speeding for a considerable length of time or if there were no cars in front of me or on the road then i could accept it as thinking yes i was doing the wrong thing . But in this case it feels like i must have only been speeding for a couple of seconds max unless all the other cars were speeding also because i had nowhere else to go after catching up to the car in front of me. So it feels arbitrary or revenue raising rather than dangerous driving unless its just me being sensitive as i have always prided myself on having a good track record and then throwing it all away after 20 years :(.

What do you guys think?

Automotive

closed Comments

  • Xistn on 20/08/2021 - 12:17

    info below link

    https://www.police.vic.gov.au/official-warnings

    Good luck.

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:21
      +1

      hmm I went through that, it doesnt actually say they never show leniency for school zone speeding (unless I am reading it wrong, it mentions it but doesnt say much past that) but when i applied for leniency thats what i was told by the person. This is NSW, not sure if its different.

  • SF3 on 20/08/2021 - 12:23
    +6

    school zone

    Yeah, it's feels bad. Pay the fine.

  • Master Bates on 20/08/2021 - 12:24
    +3

    If your time is not money and you don't mind the outcome possibly being worse, then take it to court.

  • bohn on 20/08/2021 - 12:29
    -1

    Take it to court for sure.
    Then report back for the lels.

  • apsilon on 20/08/2021 - 12:37
    +1

    You're correct that speeding in school zone isn't considered for leniency by revenue NSW. Keep in mind if you do take it to court there's a chance you could end up paying more as they could increase the fine, order you to pay court costs and prosecutors costs.

  • Downvoter on 20/08/2021 - 12:37
    +1

    You want leniency for speeding in a school zone? Profanity off

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:45
      -1

      the part i struggle with is the photos show i was speeding for at most a couple of seconds to catch up to the cars in front and not speeding for a length of time.

  • Hardlyworkin on 20/08/2021 - 12:37
    +4

    So you are looking to challenge as otherwise
    you will no longer be able talk about your 20+ year non speeding fine record?

    What are you throwing away exactly?

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:42
      -1

      its more for me on my mind , and i guess i am surprised because i must have only been at that speed for a couple of seconds as the picture shows me catching up to the cars in front as opposed to me feeling like i was speeding all the time.

    • CheapskateQueen on 20/08/2021 - 12:43
      +3

      pretty substantial discounts on your licence in nsw if you have no demerit points. also I think insurance is cheaper too

    • djkelly69 on 20/08/2021 - 12:53

      What are you throwing away exactly?

      being able to talk about his 20+ year non speeding fine record

      • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:55

        Some people are proud of their own achievements for themselves, they dont necessarily have to go talk about it, I am not sure how many people sit around talking about the speeding fine records…

  • darshu on 20/08/2021 - 12:41
    +3

    If you are frustrated that you received your first infringement, think it like this. You will never forget it for the rest of your life, now you always check your speed (one of my friends got a parking ticket while we all went grocery shopping and we divided the fine into equal shares, but after that incident, I have never forgotten to check parking rules/ times). Don't take it too hard, mistakes happen and sometimes you need to pay for those mistakes.

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:43

      yeah i think thats what it is…..

    • bobbified on 20/08/2021 - 13:42

      …and we divided the fine into equal shares

      Pretty nice of you guys, I must say!
      (I'm usually the driver and I haven't had a ticket for years, but I'd just take whatever I get since it's my responsibility as the driver).

  • solidussnake on 20/08/2021 - 12:43
    +1

    20 years clean driving… ok why does that matter ?

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:52
      -2

      I was proud of it for myself and always thought if i ever stuffed up it would be because i deliberately sped. I struggle with the parts it was 2:33pm and there were cars in front of me and i was at 47km and pictures seemed to indicate i sped for a couple of seconds to catch up to the cars.. I guess I had always assumed if i made the mistake, it would have been clearly me speeding for several seconds or minutes knowingly. Think thats the part i keep mulling over.

    • Xistn on 20/08/2021 - 12:59
      +1

      Because it should, and it doesn't.

      We are human after all and minor mistakes can happen.

  • iDroid on 20/08/2021 - 12:44
    +3

    Just pay it and move on. It hurts, but you'll forget about it in a week.

    Going to court is unlikely going to yield you any success but more stress.

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:48

      I think it is the hurt of feeling like after so long, i made a mistake. Probably my OCD making me keep thinking about it.

      • iDroid on 20/08/2021 - 13:39
        +1

        I hear ya… I sweat these things out myself.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/08/2021 - 12:45

    Was it during lockdown? I recall seeing a story on TV in relation to school zones being imposed even though some schools were closed.

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:47

      Not during the hard lockdown. But my workplace was already cutting down to only a few days on site per week so was my ex-work colleague's work. So I dont remember now but i think it must have been after the outbreak started.

  • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:54

    Looks like the recommendation is to pay it up and just move forward. Its probably just my OCD playing the scenario over and over in my head. Should i close the thread or do the mods do that? Lots of useful advice from people, Its also funny how these days there are a couple of really negative people on OZB, wasnt the way back in the beginning. Not sure where the enjoyment in being negative comes from.

    • westzod on 20/08/2021 - 13:26
      +1

      It happens buddy… you clearly have learnt from your mistake. Now go and do another 20 years of good driving!

  • bobbified on 20/08/2021 - 12:57
    +1

    So I got my first ever speeding ticket,

    With the ever-increasing number of speed cameras, it was only a matter of time…

    Just pay the fine.

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 12:58

      Yeah thats true and the part i notice the most difficult for me to keep track of is the constant changing of speed limits on the one road. I wish we had a more basic system of 60, 80, 100 or 50, 70 and 100 or something like that. Too many variable speed limit scenarios.

  • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 13:01

    Hmm I dont see a way to close it? Do i just report it to the mods?

  • SnoozeAndLose on 20/08/2021 - 13:08

    Where is the photos?

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 13:12

      I wasnt sure if there was any point putting them up, because in them i cant really see anyway of judging besides the fact that there are cars around me and in front and i got a bit closer to the car in front from the 2 pictures. Of course the cars in front may have been speeding as well, hard to tell.

  • dogboy on 20/08/2021 - 13:15
    +2

    Lesson: No good deed goes unpunished.

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 13:15

      Sadly, i guess part of me does feel like that.

  • this is us on 20/08/2021 - 13:17
    +1

    I would write a formal appeal but wouldn't go to court.

    Years ago, I appealed (wrote to Vic Police) and did have a speed ticket cancelled and left as a notice only. The entire process took a few months because everything is slow in this country, so I paid the fine. After months, I received a letter saying that they were withdrawing the fine. I got a refund on the credit card after a few days, which was unexpected.

    It's not the end of the world, you don't get a bonus because you don't have fines.

    Just forgive yourself and move on, still proud that you have only had one ticket in 20 years.

    • lonewolf on 20/08/2021 - 13:19
      +1

      Thats true, I guess i can look at it as 1 ticket in 20 years.

  • Big Lenny on 20/08/2021 - 13:42

    my condolences.

  • Keplaffintech on 20/08/2021 - 13:45

    Late lunch excuse aside, you sped in a school zone. Have you ever watched how school kids carelessly behave near roads? The limit is strictly enforced for a reason.

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