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Dad fined $1,200 for 'critical' seatbelt mistake

<p>At the start of last month, Queensland authorities increased driving fines to a record high, with the value of a penalty unit increasing by 4.2 per cent. </p> <p>One Aussie dad found out the hard way this week after he copped a $1,209 fine when he was stopped by police during a traffic operation as part of the state's Road Safety Week and found that his two kids did not have their seatbelts fixed correctly. </p> <p>They found the 5-year-old boy not properly secured in his booster seat, while a 6-year-old boy, who was seated in the right-side back seat, was found to have the middle seat belt wrapped around his neck.</p> <p>The hefty fine also comes with 4 demerit points. </p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Queensland Police</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span>have warned their motorists about increased police vigilance on their roads. </p> <p>"Failure to wear a seatbelt is one of the leading causes of road crash deaths. Unrestrained drivers and passengers are eight times more likely to be killed in a road crash," Acting Inspector Kylie Doyle said. </p> <p>"If this driver had been in a crash, it would have likely resulted in significant, possibly life-threatening injuries for these children."</p> <p>Following the state's move to increase the value of a penalty unit, drivers caught using their phone or not wearing a seatbelt properly will now pay a fine of over $1,200. </p> <p>Drivers caught speeding more than 30km/h over the speed limit are also forced to pay over $1,200. </p> <p>Based off the average salary in the state, this means that drivers caught for such infringements would be paying around 65 per cent of their weekly salary on the fine. </p> <p>Authorities across the country have been cracking down on driver misbehaviour in attempt to reduce the number of road fatalities. </p> <p>"It is critical we all play our part to be safer on Queensland roads," Acting Inspector Kylie Doyle warned motorists on Tuesday.</p> <p><em>Image: S</em><em>ongsook / Shutterstock.com</em></p>

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Police share wild seatbelt pic after fining driver for bizarre DIY fix

<p>A driver has copped a $387 fine over their bizarre seatbelt fix during a random stationary test at Richmond in Sydney's northwest. </p> <p>A photo shared by NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol showed the shocking state of the driver's seatbelt, which was tattered and held together by duct tape. </p> <p>The police department have warned other drivers to make sure their seatbelts are in good condition, otherwise they too might cop a fine and demerit points.</p> <p>"Seatbelts help to save lives, except for this one...."  they wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday. </p> <p>"Hawkesbury Highway Patrol were recently conducting random stationary testing on Londonderry Road at Richmond when they spoke with a driver about his seatbelt.</p> <p> "Not only was the seatbelt not being worn, an inspection of the seatbelt found it to be dangerously defective," they added. </p> <p>"He was issued a defect notice and infringement in the amount of $387 and three demerit points. Please ensure your seatbelts don't look like this."</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2024/03/SeatbeltNSWPolice.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>Many commenters were baffled as to how the vehicle passed the eSafety check, also known as a pink slip inspection, which is required for vehicles over five years old in NSW to be deemed roadworthy. </p> <p>"And who passed the Pink Slip? That’s where I’d be heading,"  one wrote. </p> <p>"I wonder who did the rego check on this vehicle," another added. </p> <p>"How does it even get to that stage," a third questioned, while others agreed that the seatbelt was no longer safe. </p> <p><em>Images: Getty / Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, NSW Police Force</em></p>

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“Welcome to reality”: Dad fined for daughter's seatbelt mistake receives little sympathy

<p dir="ltr">A Queensland father has posted a plea for help on social media, after he received two hefty fines adding up to $2,156 for his daughter’s simple seatbelt mistake.</p> <p dir="ltr">The father claimed that he was completely unaware of what his daughter was doing, after cameras caught her wearing her seatbelt incorrectly twice as a passenger.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Just received two x $1078 fines plus total 8 demerit points, only 2 weeks apart for my 13yo daughter not wearing her seatbelt correctly. Had no idea that she was wearing it that way as can’t see from the driver's point of view," he wrote on Facebook.</p> <p dir="ltr">The frustrated dad revealed that his daughter had made the same mistake twice within two weeks and asked whether it was worth taking it to court.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also asked if "any chance of somehow reducing the penalty".</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/seatbelt-rules#:~:text=Everyone%207%20years%20or%20older,are%20not%20frayed%20or%20loose." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queensland Government</a> fines and demerit points apply for not wearing a seatbelt or wearing it incorrectly, and that drivers “may be fined for each unrestrained or incorrectly restrained passenger in the vehicle”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dozens of people have responded, but many didn’t sympathise with the dad saying that they both should’ve known better.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You as a driver are responsible for everyone in the car. Perhaps you need to be firm with your daughter. Welcome to reality," commented one person.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She's old enough to know how to wear a seat belt, just give her the fines to pay and she will wear it properly from then on," wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others have said that they should learn from this mistake and be more aware of the dangers of wearing a seatbelt incorrectly.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Both learn from this and fix the problem for next time before your daughter flies out of the car in a crash," said one person.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I’d suggest you forget about the law and just think of the damage done to your daughter in an accident with the seatbelt worn like this," wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">A few others did sympathise and acknowledge that kids can make mistakes despite the adults knowing better.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I feel for you, I caught my 13-year-old doing this and yelled at her," commented one user.</p> <p dir="ltr">"These fines are crippling people. I understand to a certain degree but mistakes are made," wrote another.</p> <p><em>Image: Facebook</em></p> <p> </p>

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Woman rocked by huge fine wasn't even driving

<p>A woman has copped a fine for over $1,000 and four demerit points for a little-known road rule. </p> <p>Hailey Gillard from Queensland said she was slapped with the fine for not wearing her seatbelt properly while sitting in the passenger seat. </p> <p>She took to TikTok to share the fine with her followers and bring their attention to the seatbelt law. </p> <p>"If you're having a bad day, at least it's not as bad as mine," she said.</p> <p>"I just got fined $1,000 for wearing my seatbelt incorrectly, which my seatbelt was underneath my arm because I was a bit carsick."</p> <p>"So I had to lean over and I got a $1,000 fine."</p> <p>"Ahh life is good...might cry later."</p> <p>According to the Queensland Government, seatbelts must be worn with the belt over your shoulder, running across your chest and be buckled low on your hip.</p> <p>Wearing them any other way could result in the same $1,078 fine and four demerits points- regardless of where you're sitting in the car. </p> <p>In a follow-up video, Hailey warned her followers to wear their seatbelt properly to avoid the hefty fine and to stay safe.</p> <p>"It was a bit of a shock because I was in the passenger seat. As you can see in the photo, my mugshot photo, I still have my seatbelt on but because my arm was over it it's still a fine," she said.</p> <p>"Be really careful on the roads, even if you're wearing a seatbelt, wear it properly because don't do what I did and get a $1000 fine," she said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

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The Queen drives without seatbelt after Prince Philip’s car crash

<p>Queen Elizabeth II has been seen driving without wearing a seatbelt only a day after her husband Prince Philip’s car crash.</p> <p>On Friday, the 92-year-old was seen driving her Range Rover on a public road in Sandringham, less than two kilometres from the Prince’s accident scene.</p> <p>The Queen is the only person allowed to drive without a license in Great Britain. While the UK laws require drivers to wear a seatbelt, the Queen is immune from civil suit or criminal prosecution.</p> <p>However, Prince Philip as the Duke of Edinburgh is still liable for civil and criminal proceedings and will be treated the same as any other individual under the law.</p> <p>The day prior, the 97-year-old Prince Philip <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/prince-philip-involved-in-car-crash-very-shocked-and-shaken/">collided</a> with a Kia when he was driving his Land Rover, leaving two women with minor injuries. Reports said the Prince was overheard telling the police he had been “dazzled by the sun”.</p> <p>One of the women, who suffered from a broken wrist, revealed that the royal has not apologised for the crash.</p> <p>“I’m lucky to be alive and he hasn’t even said sorry,” said 45-year-old Emma Fairweather. “It has been such a traumatic and painful time and I would have expected more of the Royal Family.”</p> <p>The Duke, who left the accident uninjured, was spotted behind the wheel again two days after the collision without a seatbelt in pictures published on Saturday, resulting in callouts from social media users.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Prince Philip, 97, has been spotted driving a replacement Land Rover, just 48 hours after his vehicle overturned in a car crash <a href="https://t.co/5nWUPlbv2R">https://t.co/5nWUPlbv2R</a> <a href="https://t.co/UECnMZiFEU">pic.twitter.com/UECnMZiFEU</a></p> — ITV News (@itvnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/itvnews/status/1086647566723366912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The Norfolk police responded, “Suitable words of advice have been given to the driver. This is in line with our standard response when being made aware of such images.”</p> <p>The investigation into Thursday’s car crash continues, with police saying “any appropriate action” would be taken if necessary.</p>

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Violent turbulence puts 10 passengers in hospital

<p>We’re always told to leave our seatbelts on during flights – even at cruising altitude – and a terrifying ordeal onboard an American Airlines flight from Athens to Philadelphia has revealed just how important this advice really is.</p> <p>Flight 759, carrying 287 passengers and 12 crew members, experienced severe and unexpected turbulence just half an hour before landing at Philadelphia International Airport.</p> <p>“Thirty minutes out, they were giving us our drinks. The flight attendants were in the last couple rows when they said, ‘Fasten your seat belts,’” passenger Ian Smith told Philadelphia news station WPVI. “And then they said for the flight attendants to get to their seats, and they didn’t even have time. It started shaking, then it took a big drop. Babies screaming, people in front of us hitting the ceiling.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Passengers disoriented and relieved, after turbulent American flight from Athens to Philly. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/americanair?src=hash">#americanair</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TURBULENCE?src=hash">#TURBULENCE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/injured?src=hash">#injured</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alive?src=hash">#alive</a> <a href="https://t.co/PQzv5gxCUn">pic.twitter.com/PQzv5gxCUn</a></p> — Ervin Fang (@efnov6) <a href="https://twitter.com/efnov6/status/894315313948262400">August 6, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Another passenger, Ervin Fang, who posted about the ordeal on Twitter, described the incident as the “worst turbulence ever,” revealing he thought he was about to die.</p> <p>According to fellow traveller Jessica Huseman, the incident couldn’t have come at a worse time. “They’d just handed out drinks,” she tweeted. “This plane [that I’m still on] is soaked. Soaked. They’ll be hosing this out for hours.”</p> <p>American Airlines issued a statement yesterday, revealing 10 people had been hospitalised. “Three passengers and seven crew members were transported to a local hospital for evaluation,” a spokesperson said. “We are taking care of our passengers and our crew members at this time and want to thank our team members for keeping our passengers safe.”</p> <p>Flick through the gallery above to see the unbelievable photos of the aftermath of the turbulence and tell us in the comments, have you ever experienced a rough flight like this?</p> <p><em>Image credit: Ervin Fang/Twitter.</em></p>

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Queen reported to police for a surprising reason

<p>It appears being one of the most powerful and well-known women in the world has its perks! Queen Elizabeth was reported to the police last week after witnesses spotted the monarch and Prince Charles leaving the State Opening of Parliament in the backseat of a car without wearing seatbelts.</p> <p><span><img width="499" height="344" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/38670/image__499x344.jpg" alt="Image_ (365)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></span></p> <p>A disgruntled citizen reported Her Majesty to the West Yorkshire Police, who weren’t happy about the emergency 999 number being taken up by a trivial matter. In fact, the Queen is one of very few Brits who are not legally required to wear seat belts.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">999 call received reporting that the Queen isn't wearing a seatbelt. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/not999?src=hash">#not999</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/notevenwestyorkshire?src=hash">#notevenwestyorkshire</a></p> — WYP Contact Centre (@WYP_CCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/WYP_CCC/status/877485703520759809">June 21, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>“Although civil and criminal proceedings cannot be taken against the Sovereign as a person under U.K. law, the queen is careful to ensure that all her activities in her personal capacity are carried out in strict accordance with the law,” a <a href="https://www.royal.uk/queen-and-law" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">palace statement</span></strong></a> reads.</p> <p>It’s not the first time the 91-year-old has flouted the rules, either. In 2015, Her Majesty was spotted <a href="/news/news/2016/06/queens-sneaky-solution-to-couple-blocking-her-car/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">taking her car off-road</span></strong></a> to overtake a couple strolling in Windsor Park, much to their shock and amusement.</p> <p>What do you think about the Queen and Prince Charles being exempt from seatbelt fines? Is it fair? Or should they be held to the same rules and responsibilities as the rest of the country? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Leon Neal/Getty.</em></p>

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