A strange speeding fine left this Australian motorist stunned
- Replies 8
Ah, the dreaded sight of a speeding fine in the mail. It’s enough to make any motorist groan. And while no one deliberately sets out to break the law (well, mostly), sometimes people forget just how fast they’re going while driving.
Recently, an Aussie motorist was left surprised when they opened their mailbox and discovered an unexpected detail on their fine from the South Australia Police.
The motorist took to the popular social media forum Reddit to explain their situation. They said they received the notice from the police in the mail after allegedly getting caught speeding while driving on the Augusta Highway at Port Augusta on January 20, 2023.
The letter states the original poster exceeded the signed speed by 10-19 km/hr. According to the traffic laws in South Australia, this offence should’ve incurred a $422 fine and the loss of three demerit points.
However, what left the motorist so baffled was that the fine amount was listed as $0.
‘$0 speeding fine…never knew this was a thing?’ They captioned their post.
‘Came in the mail. No physical interaction at the time of alleged offence apparently. I.e., No cop, no speed gun...just an electronic detection device that has spat out the record,’ they added.
A photo of the expiation notice was attached to the original post and showed details of the alleged offence. The word ‘caution’ can be found near the bottom-right corner of the notice, right beside the total fine of $0.
Many social media users agreed they’d never seen a speeding fine like this before.
‘Wow, I’ve never gotten one of those. Kind of jealous, my first offence got me slapped with a $300 fine for going 70 kph under the bridge on Henley Beach Road, which is the same speed bracket too (10 over the limit),’ one shared.
‘Never seen one like this either,’ one agreed.
Another added: ‘That’s amazing!’
Other lesser-known traffic violations can be found here, so if you’re planning a road trip soon, it would be best if you familiarise yourself with some of these rules.
Some suggested that the new speeding cameras or a recent change to speed limits in the area could’ve led to authorities showing leniency.
‘My daughter was pulled over once and was told she would receive a formal warning. It’s in “the system” as a warning but no fine,’ someone wrote.
Another stated that there was likely a camera or device that logged the speed, but some technicality likely caused the police to disregard the vehicles caught, such as a measurement, failed calibration, or anything that would fail in a court of law.
‘SAPOL doesn’t just “remind” people with letters and locations like this,’ the person added.
The motorist’s post prompted a discussion regarding the payment of expiation fees, specifically, whether payment of fines can be considered an ‘admission of guilt’.
Someone in the comments (who clarified that they are not a lawyer) explained that expiation is a method to settle a matter specifically without court interactions and allow for penalties to be applied. They claimed paying a fine is ‘closer to acceptance than admission’.
The South Australian law handbook has the solution to this problem.
‘By paying an expiation fee, am I admitting guilt?’ The handbook reads near the bottom of the page.
The law dictates that ‘the expiation of an offence does not amount to an admission of guilt or of any civil liability, and cannot be used as evidence of such an admission’. And there you go! Paying a fine isn’t an admission of guilt (in South Australia at least).
Have you ever received a surprising speeding fine? What happened? Tell us your stories in the comments below!
Recently, an Aussie motorist was left surprised when they opened their mailbox and discovered an unexpected detail on their fine from the South Australia Police.
The motorist took to the popular social media forum Reddit to explain their situation. They said they received the notice from the police in the mail after allegedly getting caught speeding while driving on the Augusta Highway at Port Augusta on January 20, 2023.
The letter states the original poster exceeded the signed speed by 10-19 km/hr. According to the traffic laws in South Australia, this offence should’ve incurred a $422 fine and the loss of three demerit points.
The motorist was confused after finding this detail on their fine. Credit: Taras Makarenko/Pexels
However, what left the motorist so baffled was that the fine amount was listed as $0.
‘$0 speeding fine…never knew this was a thing?’ They captioned their post.
‘Came in the mail. No physical interaction at the time of alleged offence apparently. I.e., No cop, no speed gun...just an electronic detection device that has spat out the record,’ they added.
A photo of the expiation notice was attached to the original post and showed details of the alleged offence. The word ‘caution’ can be found near the bottom-right corner of the notice, right beside the total fine of $0.
The notice. Credit: Reddit
Many social media users agreed they’d never seen a speeding fine like this before.
‘Wow, I’ve never gotten one of those. Kind of jealous, my first offence got me slapped with a $300 fine for going 70 kph under the bridge on Henley Beach Road, which is the same speed bracket too (10 over the limit),’ one shared.
‘Never seen one like this either,’ one agreed.
Another added: ‘That’s amazing!’
Other lesser-known traffic violations can be found here, so if you’re planning a road trip soon, it would be best if you familiarise yourself with some of these rules.
Some suggested that the new speeding cameras or a recent change to speed limits in the area could’ve led to authorities showing leniency.
‘My daughter was pulled over once and was told she would receive a formal warning. It’s in “the system” as a warning but no fine,’ someone wrote.
Another stated that there was likely a camera or device that logged the speed, but some technicality likely caused the police to disregard the vehicles caught, such as a measurement, failed calibration, or anything that would fail in a court of law.
‘SAPOL doesn’t just “remind” people with letters and locations like this,’ the person added.
The motorist’s post prompted a discussion regarding the payment of expiation fees, specifically, whether payment of fines can be considered an ‘admission of guilt’.
Someone in the comments (who clarified that they are not a lawyer) explained that expiation is a method to settle a matter specifically without court interactions and allow for penalties to be applied. They claimed paying a fine is ‘closer to acceptance than admission’.
The South Australian law handbook has the solution to this problem.
‘By paying an expiation fee, am I admitting guilt?’ The handbook reads near the bottom of the page.
The law dictates that ‘the expiation of an offence does not amount to an admission of guilt or of any civil liability, and cannot be used as evidence of such an admission’. And there you go! Paying a fine isn’t an admission of guilt (in South Australia at least).
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