Today I crossed the Red Light at a roundabout in Bella Vista (near new McDonalds), which resulted in the suspension of my Driving Licence. I was on P1 with existing 2 Demerit Points from an earlier parking offence in a school-zone. This new offence today added another 3, crossing the limit of 4 for P1. I was at the fault and I am realising that life is going to be tough without a car for next 3 months.
Crossed Red Light, Licence Suspended
Comments
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Yes, I should have kept my eyes and mind open. Unfortunately the license is gone now.
Did you get booked by police?
Yes, they were behind my car.
@burningrage: Unlucky?
The cops were right behind him and he didn't notice them nor the red light? If someone is that inattentive it's probably better that they aren't on the road. Must have been a really important facebook post…..@psb: Hmmm at least that would have been an reason…. not a good one mind you but it seems you were completely tuned out from driving….
@psb: Fair enough, most of us do dumb shit when we're young so don't get down about it, just resolve to be more attentive when you get your license back. I taught my kids that when they are driving their full attention should be on the road first, with an occasional glance at the speedo. The MOST important thing when driving is that you don't bump into anyone else. A lost license is a better way to learn your lessons than killing or injuring someone. In the meantime, think how fitter you'll be in three months time! :)
This isn't something that can be voluntarily controlled. So, for the OP to just "resolve" to be more attentive won't make them more attentive.
huh? Realise that when you're driving your number 1 job is to pay attention. Put the phone away, turn the radio down, remove any distractions from inside the car.
Unless you've a condition where you can't be attentive enough to see a red light AND not notice a police car behind you, then you simply shouldn't be on the road without appropriate treatment. I have diagnosed ADHD with high ADD and I can manage to see and respond to every red light.
This isn't something that can be voluntarily controlled.
I feel your comment got more negs than it deserved (I'd say -3 would be about right) but the fact is it doesn't matter. If you can't be attentive while you're driving, whether that's voluntarily or not, you shouldn't be driving.
I taught my kids that when they are driving their full attention should be on the road first, with an occasional glance at the speedo.
I am a similar driver. Instead of just looking ahead, I'll always be scanning my left/right lanes and behind me as well.
Plus trying to work out what cars in all those lanes are planning on doing.
My thoughts are if I need to take evasive action - I'll at least have some awareness of my surroundings rather than reacting blindly.
@EightImmortals: Unlucky in the sense cops behind him. Noy unlucky as in lack of attention.
How often do you have cops behind you on a redlight?
@burningrage: Once is enough. But if you don't notice a cop car in your rvm how will you notice the myriad of things that aren't as obvious? (Could have been an undercover tax collector I guess?)
@EightImmortals: It's a bit hard. They drive unmarked these days.
In Springvale Road, I saw them driving a Black Merc and the other day a Tesla (X model).
I feel this is a misuse of taxpayer money but that's another day's topic.
Anyway, back in my hey days working in a factory working with Transport Union, the blokes all telling me tell tale signs of what an undercover cops car look like and ever since, all good.
@burningrage: it might be confiscated or off some other govt authority, i'm not sure what it's really like in australia but elsewhere cops rarely get anything new or nice
what are the tell tale signs of undercover cop cars if you dont mind sharing
@EightImmortals: They were behind him at a light? Why would you look behind? The only time I look behind is to reverse. Eyes forward on the future, if it happens behind you it's in the past. If I were about to break a law i'd 360deg no-scope though.
@releasethekr4cken: Basic road safety is to be aware of EVERYTHING going on around you. I have had a number of occasions over the years when something happens causing me to brake (or even just a simple intersection) and the person behind is too close or not paying attention and if I wasn't aware of where they were and reacted accordingly it would have resulted in an accident. One time near Coffs Harbour a caravan just decided to turn off the main highway without indicating, the car in front of me managed to stop in time, the truck behind me , not so much but because I was watching the RVM at that point I was able to avoid being rear-ended by the truck (by crossing onto the wrong side of the road) and the truck then had enough room to move around and avoid a collision. There are plenty of bloody idiots on the roads and it helps if you know where they in relation to your own vehicle.
@EightImmortals: It's all well and good to say you need to be aware of everything, but we are only human beings.
@burningrage: From my daily commute I see many bookable offences every day from crossing amber when you have plenty of time to stop, mobiles, speeding in school zones, taxis being taxis. People break road rules all the time, it's not unlucky that a cop is behind you, it's unlucky you didn't see him. I was recently booked for crossing double lines and when the officer asked why I crossed double lines I said "because I didn't see you". I probably shouldn't have been a smart ass, my rear tyre is bald, should have given me a defect, I was lucky he was having a good day or perhaps he appreciated honesty and not some dumb excuse.
No Mercy for you. Thanks for letting us know, that some parts of Australia has laws hat are working.
Not sure what kind of response you are after.
I believe he/she wants help with a kleenex deal?
Rofl!
We've only got Quilton here, sorry :(
its multi-purpose ~
And then maybe an e-bike deal?
OzBargain and wanting sympathy name a more iconic duo.
Neat.
Member Since: 9 hours 31 min ago
Correct, made it in the morning only after the incident. Long time lurker on OzBargain but never posted.
Correct, made it in the morning only after the incident. Long time lurker
Aren't they always?
That should be a standard opening line from now on.
"Hi OzBargain. Long time lurker."
Got plenty of time now.
To ease a bit your pain, at easter I lost 6 points for speeding. Better now? I virtually am holding your hand right now.
Are we still posting this tired, tired trope of DAE USER FOR VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME!!1!? Wow. I guess it never gets old to some people.
But to the rest of us we know that when a new user is posting it's because of either:
A) Long time lurker but never posted (as OP has admitted to)
or, the much more likely:
B) They are posting about an accident, traffic infringement or other embarrassing experience and don't want it tied to their main account.
In both instances the majority of OzBargainers are thinking' whoop-di-farken-doo.
Try something a little more original next time, Strand0410.
Nah, keep em coming. There's only two types of new threads from lurkers these days: 'I ran into a preschool uninsured, help!' and 'please give me your targeted code for discounted earbuds/phones pls'
Of course you were never new were you?
They created the database table of users and you were mysteriously already in it.Right. Because I'm against all new sign-ups. Not that the auto sub is turning into Whirlpool's spillover where every uninsured idiot who makes a bad decision, signs up to crowdsource tips, sympathy, and legal advice.
Were you looking for a church to confess your sins, but then got lost and decided to join ozbargain to confess instead?
No mate, I just love ozbargain and fellow ozbargainers. Thought of posting it, mistake was mine of course.
I thought it was more of a response to the usual posts seeking advice on fines and infringements. A nice change.
Yes, not bitching or seeking wriggle-out suggestions. Just looking for a few hundred thousand shoulders to cry on.
ROFL!
existing 2 Demerit Points from an earlier parking offence in a school-zone.
Geez gotta love Sydney… For parking in a school zone??
Yes, that was a drop-off zone only with limitation on parking during school hours. My kid wanted me to get her across the road to the school gate that day, which I did thinking it would just be 5 mins thing. Got the fine and demerit points for it.
The mistake was mine.
Paying a fine for that is one thing. Losing demerit points really hurts more.
Absolutely! I used to think that I am at least a Safe Driver. Doesn’t look like now at all.
Parking in school zones reduces visibility for kids crossing the road during a rush of hundreds of children trying to get to school, parents rushing to drop off and get to work.
The road rules are clear that you can't stop in a school zone.
The danger of blocking children's vision multiplied by the large number of kids is proportionate to the penalty.
Fully support this.
Don't get me started.
Traffic lights at roundabout?
Yes, it’s in Bella Vista. When you come from Norwest towards ResMed, the roundabout at that end. New McDonalds had opened there on one side I guess 6-7 months back.
The purpose of a roundabout is to control traffic without lights. One is redundant.
If there's lights, there doesn't need to be a roundabout. And vice versa.
Sometimes, there's just way too high traffic volumes, which is where traffic lights at a roundabout is required. Source: Australia's worst roundabout aka Australia Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park
Sometimes, there's just way too high traffic volumes, which is where traffic lights at a roundabout is required.
Roundabouts serve to slow things down. Wouldn't it be faster to let them drive in a straight line if there's too much traffic?
@lostn: If there's too much traffic between some entrances/exits, cars entering from other entrances never get a chance to proceed. Hence lights.
If there's too much traffic between some entrances/exits, cars entering from other entrances never get a chance to proceed. Hence lights.
Right, so keep the lights and ditch the round about.
There's a large roundabout in North Melbourne, aka the roundabout of death, which joins three major roads and two tram lines, plus bicycles lanes. Up to a few years ago it was very dangerous. One would think a solution would involve something like grade separation or road realignment. The solution was to install many traffic lights, which is very confusing but reduced accidents.
@CargoCult: I was going to mention that one - complete nightmare the first few times you come across it!
@lachhelix: It was a nightmare 10 years ago. Crashes galore.
Now it's just weird and confusing, but definitely not a nightmare.
I don't think the local council or the RMS think when they planned to put stuffs like lights/crossing/roundabout. They only put say overhead crossing after, unfortunately, someone(child) been killed. The one outside Fairfield High on the Horsley Drive is a perfect example.
The roundabout works most of the time but during peak hour the flow is much higher on one road than the other that crosses it. Before the lights were installed it was typical for drivers to queue up for 15 minutes or more to get through that roundabout.
I feel like it's a band-aid solution to poor traffic management and full time traffic lights would be much better, and less confusing for people who haven't seen a similar setup before. So in a sense I agree with you. But the band aid is better than nothing.
Roundabouts at a certain volume of traffic become unworkable creating blocks on some roads and hence they add traffic lights to regulate the traffic flows beyond a certain volume
@gromit: Like I said, keep the lights, remove the roundabout. The roundabout just slows things down if you still have to follow the lights anyway. Unless it's a super complicated intersection with 6+ exits maybe.
@lostn: supposedly the combination makes for a safer intersection and higher flow rates. At least that is what they claim.
They were installed to prevent the gridlock that was happening with all the woolies head office workers.
Now an intersection would have been a much better and less confused option wouldn’t it? I reckon the Woolies workers are too wooly to worry about such a fluffy issue 😂🐑🐏. Baaaaaaa.
Sydney. They also have one way streets and infringements for parking in school zones apparently.
Shit happens. Live and learn.
MS Paint Diagram pls
rofl
Did you really roll on the floor and laugh because of their comment?
lmao
@The Wololo Wombat: Did part of your buttocks really detach during a fit of laughter? If so, I would suggest emergency medical treatment.
I am trying to find how to upload image. Should be able to do it at the earliest.
If you are at the front of the roundabout in Bella Vista you cannot actually see if those lights are red or not.
There were 2 other cars in front of me. I was behind the white line / marking and could see Red light. After following them saw police car lights flashing in my rear mirror.
If only you had a pair of knockers
Won't work if the cop is female.
Don't assume sexual preference, blah blah some SJW rubbish.
Yeah, I dunno.
I'm a guy, but my impression is that men are very strongly fixated on female breasts, but women (including lesbian women) are not.
@vikvance: I dunno, the ones in the movies I watch are pretty fixated.
They also have weird relationships with their step-brothers.
In VIC when your license is suspended, I think you have an option to pay some money to continue driving, but if you accrue a single demerit point for the next X period (don't remember how long), you lose your license again and it will be for an even longer period.
A form of gambling I guess.
I heard about this new law introduced years ago. I don't know if it still exists.
I called up NSW RTA to enquire on the consequences of the circumstances I am in. They advised on similar lines as you commented.
They said I can challenge it in court but then irrespective of if I win or loose demerit points would stay for 3 years. And if I accept my mistake without going to the court then after suspension period the license would have these incurred points removed.
You called them up at this hour and they still answered the phone?
I would just take the suspension. It's only 3 months then have your points wiped. Better than carrying them for 3 years.
If you win in court, what do you actually win if the points stay on? Just the fine being canceled?
@lostn: No, had called them up in the afternoon yesterday. Sorry, it wasn’t clear in my above comment.
Absolutely agreed, it doesn’t make sense at all to challenge in court when my mistake is very evident.
I would be taking up the suspension.
If there is any way to not have your license suspended take it
You can avoid telling your insurance that you have lost your license for the next 10 years
In Victoria they offer a demerit point extension, you cannot lose any more points for 6 months or you lose your license for 6 months instead of 3
So … your question is?🤔
P.s: It sucks to be you right now. How are you going to get to work?
Edit: It looks like there is no work/restricted licence in NSW :(
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You'll have plenty of time to practise crossing on green then.