Speeding Fine from Camera. Computer or Human Error?

Hubby got a speeding fine Friday, dated about a week ago. $112 and 1 demerit point for 70 in a 60 zone. He was VERY suprised as the address and the time given meant he was safely in his office at work and his car was at the Train Station. The car, name and address details given were correct for him, but there was no way he was the guilty party. He went to the website and requested the photo taken by the speed camera. Lo and behold it was not him and not his car. The rego plates were different by the last letter. The car make was the same but the model different (same colour too). He is going to contact them Monday to see about rectifying this error and hopes it wont be difficult, given the evidence. Has anyone had this happen to them, was it resolved successfully? Does anyone know if it is likely due to computer or human error? We were just curious so I thought I would come to the experts on everything, the Oz Bargin Forumers!

*I have been informed by Lan my warder, that it was not a speeding fine it was a 'traffic infringment notice'. Hey what do I know, i'm just one of the strongest Aes Sedai in 1000 years.

Comments

  • +10

    Not your husband. Contest it and it's a no brainer win to you

  • +4

    Hi there.

    This situation is easy to resolve. It happened to me and I went down to their office and had a good look at the photo. Lo and behold, wrong car in the photo. Explained it to the officer, wrote a note to that effect and after a short wait; they returned and said not to worry, they will have this corrected. We received our money back for the photo (smile). Only inconvenience was time spent and a little anxiety. Hope that helps you. Clearly the person behind the identification process need better glasses.

    • Thanks for your comment. I'm glad it worked out for you. Did they happen to mention if it was human error?

    • +2

      You guts got to pay for a photo? In vic you can view them online for free!

  • +1

    No admission of error, at the time they were quite skeptical, but I persisted nicely and showed the rego plate was not mine but of another car. I do not know your circumstances, suffice to say justice will prevail if it was not your fault. Good luck.

  • +1

    Easily contestable since you have all the relevant information, including your license plate.

    http://www.sdro.nsw.gov.au/fines/pn/review.php

    • Thanks for your comment and link, I had never heard of 'mypenalty.com'. Funny name but I found some good info there.

  • +5

    My understanding is if the computer system does not recognise a number or alphabet letter of the license plate (due to faded plate etc) the system scans the database for the same make car with most closet license plate and fine is sent to that owner. It's an automated system based on probability and not 100% accurate as you can see.

    • Thanks for your comment. I was wondering if it was human or computer so I appreciate your information. What you have told me makes sense in regard to the error.

    • +1

      I'd expect it to be a manual process after not being recognized…especially with fleets of the same car having a similar plate at times.. No wonder this shit happens.

    • What's your understanding based on? I'm not saying it's wrong as I don't know how it works, but programing a computer to literally guess who to fine and give points to would be beyond absurd!

    • The ANPR system is trying to read the plate. It probably misinterpreted it.
      The system is not likely to be able to identify a make and model of the car. (This would surely be done by a human)?

    • Infringement events are always checked by a human before they're released. This is a case of human error.
      If the letter in question is a 1/I or 0/O/Q or B/8 this can trip up ANPR systems and if the human doesn't pick up the mistake either (can happen with 0 and O especially depending on which number plate style and year issued you have) then you get an erroneous ticket.
      Just let them know and they'll go back and review what they've done and fix it up.

      There is no system in place to check/determine a vehicle's colour, make or model from photo/videos, it is the person verifying the infringement who's supposed to do that.

  • +16

    This is why we should allow Cyberdyne systems to run our police computer systems. What could possibly go wrong?

    Dear Skynet,
    I know you're reading this and please under stand that my comment is in jest. You're doing a fantastic job and I bow down to our superior cybernetic overlords. This is just one of those pathetic attempts at humour which humans attempt.
    regards
    A fallible and inferior meat bag

    • +5

      I, for one, welcome our new toaster overlords…

    • +4

      The toaster bikies are at your front door.

  • +4

    Just send Lan down to the office and rough them up.

    • +3

      Thanks for your comment. Since leaving the Westlands Lan has unfortunately become a bit of a cuck and has replaced his power wrought- heron marked steel with a TV remote.

      • +3

        I can see you pulling your braid out of your head

        • +3

          I should have taken up Cenn Buies offer. OK he was old but he was a man's man.

        • +2

          @Nynaeve: careful, if you did that you'd have people lining up to check out your thatch.

        • +1

          @teardrops21: Thanks to 'Lord' Perrin many people are checking out slates as much as thatches.

        • +2

          @Nynaeve: Depend if you were wearing a Domani dress or not

        • +1

          @teardrops21: Or maybe dressing like a Atha'an_Miere out at sea would do the trick.

        • @Nynaeve: that would turn you into a wind finder

  • +4

    I haven'y read ALL of the above Comments BUT…
    Computers are only as good as the Person inputting the DATA.
    What happened to me was rather astounding, but understandable.
    My last name is AAAA, and I live on BBBBBBBB st.
    I received a Seatbelt fine in the mail.
    After having a "debate" with my wife as to how this could happen and who was actually driving at the time. I then noticed where the infringement happened, 600kms from my home.
    A quick call to the 'Information' number on the notice made everything clearer.
    It was sent to me in error. The fine was for someone named BBBBBBBB that lived on AAAA st.
    It took a bit of "discussion" with the cop on the other end of the phone to realise that THEY were in error.
    They never even checked the different License Number.
    A mumbled "sorry" was issued, they then quickly hung up.
    I thought, well, thanks for that and heard nothing more about it.

    • +2

      I don't know, the person at the other end of the phone is unlikely to be a sworn officer of the law, but rather some clerk at RMS or SDRO.

  • +1

    I wonder what would happen if you were to have the matter heard in court, just pull out the evidence to prove it is not you and watch them turn red in the face. Would you get compenstation for your lost time?

    • It would be dropped before reaching the court. And who is them?

      • +1

        Them as in the police or whoever it is on the other side of the court room. I had an incident like this once in a mediation session and it was rather amusing to watch the other side try to talk their way out of it.

    • +1

      Thank you for your comment. Yes It would be funny to watch that. It would be worth the effort if we could not get the 1 demerit point reversed as well. I would have to get my warder to ask for costs.

    • +3

      Seriously it was another car. Shit if we should pay for someone else's 1 demerit point/$112. I was wondering how many people would fail to to read the post before commenting. Thanks for the stats.

        • @Gimli Couldn't you sue them for time lost getting the fine dropped (and time getting the compensation)?

        • -2

          @realfancyman:

          it's not about the money.

          Its about time you could have spent with family or saving the world.

        • Meh, you also pay more on your rego etc if you lost that demerit point. Why is it worth losing money and demerit point just to avoid a phone call?

        • +2

          What a life where you can afford to just throw $112 down the drain #livingthedream.

        • You are almost on the right track.

          Time is precious we can all agree

          1) Print the picture of the different car (in draft quality..saves ink + so they cannot see anything anyway and will have to go look back at the records themselves)

          2) Ignore the fine

          Do you have time to hang on the phone with RMS.

          NO…OzB life (cannot even afford the phone call…except for you Gimli)

          3) Many more letters will be received bigger fine blah blah blah

          4) See how long they drag it out and then show them the picture and demand compensation for the stress

          5) report back here.

        • +1

          @Gimli:
          10/10 trolling.

          Well done. I strive to learn from you.

    • +4

      By that logic Gimli, I guess you could pay the fine and accept the demerit point loss because you were not at fault? Bloody muppet.

      • +1

        lol faulty

  • +4

    Why is this a forum post, an error was made you took the required steps to solve it, now move on. The rest of us don't care.

    • +2

      It's a forum post because I was wondering how common this kind of mistake was, had anyone had anyone had any experience with this kind of mistake and what the outcome was, did anyone have any knowledge how this mistake was made etc etc. Given that you replied, it could be said that you at least cared a great deal.

      • +7

        Lol I'm pretty sure this is a forum post so you can cry about how much you hate government workers from these comments 1 2

  • +2

    To be honest thats pretty bad form. Atleast if its in QLD they provide an image of the car at the time of the incident. Really makes a mickey of the innocent till proven guilty if they don't supply evidence. Sounds like a good scam though, just send out a fine to everyone in the state for 67km in a 60 zone and see how much money you make :)

  • +1

    He is going to contact them Monday to see about rectifying this error and hopes it wont be difficult

    I reckon it would be impossible to contact them on monday, you wont get it resolved, and no one will answer the phone ☹

    • +1

      lol I know, my bad. I think it will be Tuesday. Although I could have been in one of the states NOT having a public holiday. I guess it was the crappy govt workers thing that tipped you off right? ;)

  • +3

    A few years ago a relative in Qld got a red light camera fine from NSW. As she lives 5hrs from the border and hadn't been across it in several years she thought it'd be easy to resolve. It wasn't. She ordered and paid for the photo. Offending car was white, hers is grey. Offending car was a Holden, hers was a HSV. Similar I know, but visually different enough. Offending license plate was a NSW one with O's and I's misread to match her Qld plates.

    Hours on the phone to the ever popular SDRO got her nowhere. "Pay the fine or turn up in court.. In NSW at your own expense.".

    She eventually took the notice, photo and car to her local police, who somehow managed to get it sorted out for her. No refund for her time or the photo, and no apology.

    • +1

      Thank you for your comment. I'm glad she got it sorted out. Sometimes govt workers can be officious and ignorant and frankly she should have been compensated or at least received an apology.

  • +1

    Similar situation to my wife. However there was no photo.

    She was fined a heap of money for double parking in a school zone. 400km from her actual location on the day. Ranger witnessed the incident and wrote the ticket without stopping the driver. However it was entered into the system wrong later by someone and assigned to my wife's car

    5min call to infringments and it was fixed. Description of the car didn't match so they cancelled it

    • +1

      Thanks for your comment. I'm glad it was resolved so easily given you had no photo etc.

  • This would be the best photo caught on the speed camera - http://i.imgur.com/3T1h6gB.jpg

    All the best to have the issue sorted. Getting a fine for speeding is one thing, getting it for no reason is pia as you would need to chase them up!

    • In that case, the Myna is not a pest but the best… :)

  • The exact same thing happened to me where the camera didn't clearly pick up the last letter of the rego. I was sent a fine from Byron Bay (I was living in Bris at the time) with an accompanying picture of a bikie on a Harley. I was overseas at the time and my then bike was a scooter so I knew it was wrong. Super easy to rectify simply send them a copy of your registration stating your number plate and vehicle (assuming the vehicle is different) and send it to them and don't worry about it again. I received an apology a few days later.

    You would think that in situations where there is doubt someone would double check registration records to rectify these issues. The process is probably automated and mailed out but surely if there is doubt a flag is raised and a human is needed to reach a conclusion. They probably really don't care because i'm sure there will be little old ladies just paying this type of thing and not chasing it up.

  • Exact same thing happened to me some years back. I went in and saw the photo and it was off by one on the rego (same make and model). Luckily for me it happened on a toll road and I had proof that I hadn't been on it at that time.

    From memory I just wrote a letter and had it revoked.

  • Number plate recognition system got it wrong so ticket incorrectly issued. No worries. They will reissue ticket to correct vehicle.

  • Had a similar incident recently… notice for overdue parking fine for somewhere in Sydney in march this year.
    I have not driven a car in Sydney for 10 years and no one else drives my car.
    I just requested a review and also a pic of the offending vehicle as one was not available online.
    Matter was sorted… pathetic apology received.
    Seems like these jerks take little care? I would expect that people involved in placing fines against people would make a little effort to get it right…
    I have heard of people paying these bjorked fines because they could not be bothered contesting it.

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