Outrageous $500 Traffic Fine Leaves Aussie Woman Speechless: Do You Know This Little-Known Road Rule?
By
- Replies 14
It’s easy to become a little complacent with road rules when we’ve been driving for many years. New rules and changes are often implemented and there are hefty fines should we accidentally break them.
We mean, let's get one thing straight - there's nothing worse than getting a fine, but it can be especially irritating when it's for something you're not even aware of.
Unfortunately, such has been for one young Melbourne woman who found herself with a hefty fine after breaking a commonly misunderstood road rule.
Lucinda McGarrity shared her plight on TikTok, saying how she was shocked to receive a $500 fine for something she thought was perfectly legal.
'They say you learn something new every day,' she said in the clip, explaining that she learned her lesson in a 'very dramatic fashion'.
The woman was driving along Rathdowne St, Carlton, one Monday morning, when suddenly the police pulled her over.
The officers noticed she had travelled through a yellow (amber) light and gave her an on-the-spot fine.
She shared: 'And today I learnt that it is illegal to drive through an amber light unless it's 100 per cent necessary to do so.'
'There were police sirens, I was pulled over in front of Florian — mind you if you’re from Melbourne you know, so that was embarrassing. Everyone’s eating their salmon gravlax and tomato tartan while getting the show of their life.'
And while it was embarrassing to be reprimanded in such public circumstances, it was the whopping fine that really hit her.
Lucinda continued: 'I was drug tested and breath tested while bawling my eyes out and receiving a $500 fine.'
'It was so full on. So anyway, don’t drive through amber lights.'
The clip has made the rounds on social media, amassing more than 41,000 views.
However, the responses were divided, with some people encouraging her to ‘fight the fine’, and others highly critical, asking why there was such a huge punishment for a minor offence.
'Fight the fine, it’s so extreme. Try to get out of it!' one person wrote, urging Lucinda to resist the charges.
But Lucinda said that she will not fight, explaining that she was in the wrong.
'I did the wrong thing. Good to know for the future though,' she remarked.
Another asked: 'How do they justify such a high fine for such a small offence?'
'Cops have seen me do this and haven’t stopped me. Do they just pick and choose when to fine you?' a third chimed in.
Others took the opportunity to share that they did not know that they'd been committing this prohibited act regularly as they were not aware of its legality.
One motorist shared: 'I drive for work all day and I did not know this.'
'I thought the rule was as long as the light doesn’t turn red you’re good?!!!'
Another said: 'This is news to me.'
Legally, driving through a yellow light is treated the same as driving through a red - whether the motoring infringement occurs on general roads, or in a school zone - with hefty fines and demerit points handed out in each state.
In New South Wales, the offence carries a $469 fine and three demerit points, although this increases if it happens in a school zone.
In Queensland, the penalty is a flat $575 fine and three demerit points.
In Victoria, a yellow light penalty will get you three demerit points and a $462 fine, while in South Australia, any driver breaking a yellow light will get a $515 fine and three demerit points.
So, members, please remember - the next time you’re approaching a yellow light, please, stop (unless it’s unsafe to do so).
Doing so may save you in fines and demerit points, but more than anything, it will help keep you safe and sound. Please feel free to share this with your friends and loved ones so they can be aware and avoid hefty fines as well.
What are your thoughts on this? Better yet, did you know about this rule?
We mean, let's get one thing straight - there's nothing worse than getting a fine, but it can be especially irritating when it's for something you're not even aware of.
Unfortunately, such has been for one young Melbourne woman who found herself with a hefty fine after breaking a commonly misunderstood road rule.
Lucinda McGarrity shared her plight on TikTok, saying how she was shocked to receive a $500 fine for something she thought was perfectly legal.
'They say you learn something new every day,' she said in the clip, explaining that she learned her lesson in a 'very dramatic fashion'.
The woman was driving along Rathdowne St, Carlton, one Monday morning, when suddenly the police pulled her over.
The officers noticed she had travelled through a yellow (amber) light and gave her an on-the-spot fine.
She shared: 'And today I learnt that it is illegal to drive through an amber light unless it's 100 per cent necessary to do so.'
'There were police sirens, I was pulled over in front of Florian — mind you if you’re from Melbourne you know, so that was embarrassing. Everyone’s eating their salmon gravlax and tomato tartan while getting the show of their life.'
And while it was embarrassing to be reprimanded in such public circumstances, it was the whopping fine that really hit her.
Lucinda continued: 'I was drug tested and breath tested while bawling my eyes out and receiving a $500 fine.'
'It was so full on. So anyway, don’t drive through amber lights.'
The clip has made the rounds on social media, amassing more than 41,000 views.
However, the responses were divided, with some people encouraging her to ‘fight the fine’, and others highly critical, asking why there was such a huge punishment for a minor offence.
'Fight the fine, it’s so extreme. Try to get out of it!' one person wrote, urging Lucinda to resist the charges.
But Lucinda said that she will not fight, explaining that she was in the wrong.
'I did the wrong thing. Good to know for the future though,' she remarked.
Another asked: 'How do they justify such a high fine for such a small offence?'
'Cops have seen me do this and haven’t stopped me. Do they just pick and choose when to fine you?' a third chimed in.
Others took the opportunity to share that they did not know that they'd been committing this prohibited act regularly as they were not aware of its legality.
One motorist shared: 'I drive for work all day and I did not know this.'
'I thought the rule was as long as the light doesn’t turn red you’re good?!!!'
Another said: 'This is news to me.'
Legally, driving through a yellow light is treated the same as driving through a red - whether the motoring infringement occurs on general roads, or in a school zone - with hefty fines and demerit points handed out in each state.
In New South Wales, the offence carries a $469 fine and three demerit points, although this increases if it happens in a school zone.
In Queensland, the penalty is a flat $575 fine and three demerit points.
In Victoria, a yellow light penalty will get you three demerit points and a $462 fine, while in South Australia, any driver breaking a yellow light will get a $515 fine and three demerit points.
Key Takeaways
- It is illegal to drive through a yellow (amber) light unless it's 100% necessary to do so.
- If caught running a yellow light, drivers face fines and demerit points ranging from $462 to $587 and three to four demerit points, depending on the state.
- Many people were unaware that this rule existed, emphasising the importance of educating drivers about road rules and regulations.
So, members, please remember - the next time you’re approaching a yellow light, please, stop (unless it’s unsafe to do so).
Doing so may save you in fines and demerit points, but more than anything, it will help keep you safe and sound. Please feel free to share this with your friends and loved ones so they can be aware and avoid hefty fines as well.
What are your thoughts on this? Better yet, did you know about this rule?