[Vic] Receive a Caution If You Have Received a Fine for Speeding 10kms over The Limit or Less
Moved to Forum: Original Link
This post is in response to a number of requests I received in the forum. Mods, please move it if you consider it inappropriate.
Many of us have received the odd speeding fine. If you meet the below criterion you are automatically elegible for a caution:
- Hold a current driver's licence, including probationary, or current learner driver's permit.
- Have not been issued with a speeding, other traffic fine or official warning within the previous two years.
- Were caught doing less than 10 kilometres per hour over the speed limit.
- Do not deny that you committed the offence.
All it takes is a brief letter addressed to the below:
Officer in Charge
Traffic Camera Office
GPO Box 1916
Melbourne 3001
It takes all of 5 minutes and if you meet the criterion you are pretty much guaranteed to have the fine withdrawn. This has worked for me and at least half a dozen of my friends and family.
Draft letter (for those who are too lazy to think of what to write themselves):
Dear Officer in Charge,
I am writing in relation to traffic offence xxx committed at [time] on [date].
I accept that at no time is speeding safe. In this case due to [insert brief comment on circumstances, don't give excuses] I drifted over the speed limit for a short period of time. I have now modified my driving behaviour and pay more attention to my speed in such circumstances.
Given my good driving record I would like to request a caution for this infringement.
Regards,
[Your name]
+2 votesI did this and got off a fine. I basically just said that this was my first speeding fine and based on my previous driving record (no fines) i am considered a responsible and safe driver. I also said i wasn't driving my own car and the sensation of speed was different in the car i was driving, but they probably didn't take note of that.
alphonso89 on 17/05/2012 - 13:51 ¶me too. i read it from a website as well. as long as no fines within 2 years and less than 10kmh than warnning
only
zblackeagle on 17/05/2012 - 17:08 ¶I had said that I had no prior fines or warnings from Victoria Police (I had recently moved from SA and had last received a speeding fine probably 12 months prior). Worked just as well
+84 votesDear Cops,
I am an active member of the OzBargain website, and we use every opportunity possible to save money.
Your speeding fine is over-priced. I have been able to get a price match from a small country in eastern Siberia, and they only charge AU$0.07 (after currency conversion) for the exact same offence.
Since it will cost you more than 7 cents to process the payment, I therefore request that the entire fine be waived.
Yours sincerely,
[your name here]
+1 voteI believe the key is to admit that you were speeding. I've done this before, but it means that if I get caught speeding again I can't say "I haven't had a fine in 2+ years" because I admitted to my previous offence. Still, very handy. Funny thing was, I sped up so the car next to me didn't slam into the parked car which had the speed camera on it. Should have let them pound it.
It was a long time ago, but I once letter-wrote my way out of a red light camera offence in New South Wales.
Dear whoever, blah blah, late night, wet road, hit the brakes and locked up, drifting sideways, decided in the interests of safety to proceed through the just-changed light, blah blah, good driving record, blah blah.
Got downgraded to a caution.
Never hurts to try it on ;-)
- +1 votealphonso89 on 17/05/2012 - 13:53 ¶
red light cam? why did you speed? just be honest with them. say what was your excuse. and if all things fail. do it the other way. pay by plans. pay slowly. 305 is ouchhhh.
+7 votesHi there,
My friends dad contests all traffic fines he's received, and one to note was running a red. He represented himself at court, claimed he was sneezing as the lights were changing but missed it, and by the time he realised the colour of the light, it was deemed safer to continue through the red light as opposed to slamming on the brakes.
I'll be using this if I ever get a fine such as this, I'm guessing the state might start wondering why the sudden influx of red light sneezing, though.
Edit: He got off (giggidy).
seanbsydney on 24/05/2012 - 14:12 ¶http://www.sdro.nsw.gov.au/your_options/request_a_review/pn_... outlines it for NSW - seems it might be possible once off for any (driving) fine, incl any speeding less than 30kph over the limit:
If you have been driving for the previous 10 years within Australia, and had no demerit point offences, we may waive the penalty notice and replace it with a caution if the offence is not serious.
Situations where you cannot claim leniencyYou cannot use a good driving record to claim leniency for:
parking or driving offences with no demerit points demerit point offences in school zones serious speeding offences, more than 30 km/hr over the limit burnout offences unlicensed driving or riding driving unregistered or uninsured vehicle probationary licence holders anyone holding a licence for less than 10 years bicycle offences driving with unrestrained children driving with two or more unrestrained passengers driving without seatbelt fastened use of radar detectors.
This has been around for a while…
What do you right in the letter? Just say that you were sorry for speeding (hence not denying it) and ask for a warning to be issued in lieu of the fine considering that you have not sped for the past 2 years…
I've done it for myself and others also.
You can also do this if you received multiple infringments on the same road in one day and/or received multiple infringements for the same road over several days. The arguement is that you did not recieve sufficient warning for you to take corrective action before the next infringement was issued.
+3 votesOnly a few left in stock. You'll have to rush to get one ;)
…
Too late, all sold out apparently
ca6leguy on 17/05/2012 - 13:58 Comment score below threshold (-9).
huntress_love on 17/05/2012 - 14:17 Comment score below threshold (0).
twilsoncrow on 17/05/2012 - 14:08 Comment score below threshold (-15).
Shlomo Scheinbaum on 17/05/2012 - 14:13 Comment score below threshold (0).
foundit on 17/05/2012 - 14:17 Comment score below threshold (2).
+3 votesIt's also good for multiple low speed offences (10k or less) speeding fines from fixed speed cameras on freeways/highways - cannot be used for combo speed/red light cameras or mobile cameras.
As stated on the same page as posted above, "Those received over a period of several days, prior to the driver becoming aware of the first issued infringement". "In essence, you may be eligible to have some multiple infringements that come within the guidelines withdrawn."
I used this a few years ago when the cameras on Eastlink first became activated. I received 6 fines in the mail for offences ranging between 101-110 kph all within a few days of one another.
I wrote them a nice letter and they waived all bar one of the notices, and also the demerit points associated.
That was a great day; I was looking at $1500+ of fines from memory. I remember it clearly because of a) the money involved and b) I had just got married but wasn't getting any lovin' for a few days after the fines came in :/ Happy days after they were wiped though :D
A loophole is an ambiguity in a system, such as a law or security, which can be used to circumvent or otherwise avoid the intent, implied or explicitly stated, of the system. Loopholes are searched for and used strategically in a variety of circumstances, including taxes, elections, politics, the criminal justice system, or in breaches of security.
This loophole allows you to avoid being fined for exceeding the speed limit (the intent).
- +1 vote
Nice copy and paste from Wikipedia.
Notice the word "ambiguity". There is no ambiguity here. You get a infringment for going over the speed limit, but under 10 kph over.
You can apply for it to be withdrawn if:
"Hold a current driver's licence, including probationary, or current learner driver's permit.
Have not been issued with a speeding, other traffic fine or official warning within the previous two years.
Were caught doing less than 10 kilometres per hour over the speed limit.
Do not deny that you committed the offence.An official warning will not be given for red light, mobile phone, seatbelt or generally any serious road safety offence, however consideration may be given where a proven emergency situation can be shown."
Where's the ambiguity? Photonaturally's reply below is spot on…
+3 votesphotonaturally on 17/05/2012 - 14:25 ¶this isnt a loop whole as much as it is an entitlement that some people do not know of.
lets hope that i never need use this.
6 yrs - no demerit pt. (touch wood)
+2 votesHow can this be a loophole when the full information is posted officially on the .gov.au website and fairly regulated. ie, no other offences in the last 2 years, less than 10km/h over.
And I don't think posting it here in OZB can potentially lead to it being abused. I knew about this about 6 months ago and got my first ever speeding fine pardoned and was given official warning. Now, at least for the next 2 years, it's impossible for me to abuse the system and continually use this method over and over again.
+3 votessupabrudda on 17/05/2012 - 14:27 ¶Yes I wonder if OurDeal will offer a pre-paid 10 speeding fines, normally $1200, today $300,
included in the deal is 6x 0-10km over, 2x 10-20km over and 2x 20-45km
LOL - that's pretty hard core. What I was thinking was that speeding fines go up every year, at CPI+. If they presold the lowest level fine, then the govt. gets to sit on the interest earned until you cash in your voucher. You get to lock in this year's price . If it's a couple of years until your next fine, you could save a fair bit of $$$.
- huntress_love on 17/05/2012 - 15:52 ¶
it would expiry by then, longest for group buy is only 1 year!
+1 voteI can't help but wonder if this will cause the waiver to be reviewed. With the offer being advertised on a site such as Ozbargain, this could lead to potential abuse of the system, and Victoria Police might not be happy with that.
I believe the offer is reasonable, as it is easily possible to have a momentary lapse of concentration and go over the speed limit. I just hope they don't feel any reason to remove it due to this post.
Austin 316 on 17/05/2012 - 14:37 ¶Dang…. I just got a fine of $153 for being 7 kms over speed. I wrote them a letter about a couple of weeks ago and asked to give me a official warning. I have however got a fine last year for turning in a NO RIGHT TURN street and 1 parking fine last year. Apart from that, I haven't got any other fines in the last 8 years (which I have highlighted in the letter). Do you think they will waive of my fine?
I know another mod thinks it should stay, but its not a deal everyone can go buy. Unless of course you want to get a fine to find out. Now is that a bargain?
Its great information and belongs in the forums.
As for discussions on the appropriateness, when that mod and I battle it out, we'll let you know who wins… You'll see the blood on our next post here… LOL
- +2 votes
Plenty of bargains are posted that require you to be a member of facebook, NRMA, RACV, etc. How is this any different, and why are they not moved to the forums?
The forums have a very limited audience, so if it's great information it belongs in the bargains section. Clearly by the number of votes it got in half an hour the users seem to think so.
Oh dear the lost in forums argument. Sorry but if you want every information piece cluttering up the main thread then start a topic and have people vote on it. Then we have some data.
And 4 hours later its lost anyway on the main thread as other deals come in. So there are arguments both ways..
And what membership is required here. You need to get a fine first before you may get off. The bad drivers club? The support our cash strapped governments club etc etc?
Dear All,
I'm in deep shit now.
getting 2 infringements on same road (western ring road, keilor 80km)
1 for just over 10 Km/hr (3 demerit)
1 for below 10 Km/hr (1 demerit)I expect more to come in few weeks time.
as I have already accumulated 8 demerit points, I will probably get my license suspended.If I send a letter as suggested, how many demerit point would I get?
Have anyone in the same boat before?Thank you in advance for all advice or tips and trick.
kangaberries on 12/03/2013 - 22:14 ¶wow I don't like your chances as:
A. You already have past infringements.
B. Driving over 10km/hr so definitely not a 'minor' infringement.Good luck though, but I really don't think they will let you off for either.
Thanks heaps for posting this op. I sent off a letter a few days ago for one infringement, however checking my online statement today I realised I was caught at another camera a few minutes before that…
What are people's thoughts on this? Should I just wait till they respond to my first letter? Or send off another letter sending I had not received the second notice at the time I sent off my first one..and ask for leniency for both of them..
6
Yes, but what do you WRITE in the letter?