Booked in NSW School Zone 18/12/2020 at 3.34 PM

Lchrisharry53 on 13/01/2021 - 07:58
Last edited 15/01/2021 - 14:56 by 1 other user

EDIT 2 - time to fire up the trolls. Why do people have to be such smarties??? I asked a simple question. I have seen this happen on other posts. Do they troll social media sites? If it gives you a kick, keep going and your small mind will be happy.

To the genuine posters, thank you.

EDIT - 3 relevant posts so far. 2 successful in Court, 1 not. The rest of the posts tell me the law, that school zone speed limits are a good thing, etc. I know that.

My wife was clocked doing 49 km/h in 40 zone after turning onto the main road where the camera is. In NSW, 17/12 and 18/12 were teacher education days with no pupils. However, in our area (booked at Gateshead), teachers stayed back after school on many days to do the development work. Therefore, if anyone at all were in schools it would have been admin staff, teachers maybe picking up stuff, etc.

Has anyone had any luck in NSW getting off a school zone speeding fine under somewhat similar circumstances? The 10 year clean record does not count for this offence, red light fines, etc.

BTW, she was going closer to 60 and was slowing down when she realised but obviously too late.

Automotive

Comments

  • Hithere on 13/01/2021 - 11:20
    +2

    Help - how do I turn off posts

    This is a open forum, you can't turn off posts unless you are a mod or Admin.

    If the answers you are getting aren't what you wanted to hear just stop posting, close the page, and leave.

  • GG57 on 13/01/2021 - 12:11
    +3

    I know OP wants to hear from people who have attempted and been successful in 'getting off' a similar fine.
    But, why try to get out of paying the fine?
    - OP's wife (the driver) has admitted fault
    - OP's wife acknowledged at the time that at fault (i.e. tried to slow down when realised)
    - OP's argument about knowing that there would be no children there is irrelevant (and the driver obviously didn't as she "tried to slow down when she realised")

    Just take the penalty, don't do it again, thank your god that you didn't have a worse outcome.

    • chrisharry53 on 13/01/2021 - 12:45
      -4

      Worse outcome - running over a student that didn't exist as no students there that day and the previous day?? Slack revenue raising

  • chrisharry53 on 13/01/2021 - 12:47
    +1

    Ok, I will just leave my post as told to do hahaha. Carry on all if you want.

  • davidmwilliams on 13/01/2021 - 13:36
    +1

    I got a fine going through a school zone at 8:03am. I asked for it to be considered, given it was only a bit after 8am, there was no traffic, and also there were no flashing lights to help indicate school zone time had kicked in. It was rejected, which was only fair I suppose. So I started using the Waze app to help me be more aware of these things.

    • chrisharry53 on 13/01/2021 - 13:38
      +1

      Thanks for the non critical response. I will look at that app for my wife and I.

  • chrisharry53 on 13/01/2021 - 18:30
    -5

    My final comment. We will pay the fine. I will write to Revenue NSW, my local member, the relevant Ministers and The Premier to have sensible and commonsense guidelines introduced to acknowledge there is no safety issue regarding students when none are required to attend school on a gazetted day due to various circumstances eg PD day, school locked down completely due to Covid, whatever. Fines are manually checked before issuing to identify the car and officers could have sheets advising of circumstances on the day under which discretion is to be used or the system programmed to automatically disregard the “offence”. Ain’t rocket science.

  • jsrz18 on 13/01/2021 - 21:47
    +1

    Don't pay the fine. That's something ridiculously stupid to pay. Its called revenue raising - there are two schools near me. One with the flashing light, and the other is just a sign. Quite easy to tell which school they're using to make some cash.

    • Ughhh on 14/01/2021 - 09:45
      +2

      Eye test is covered by Medicare btw.

  • MontyMacaw on 14/01/2021 - 08:36
    +1

    So to be clear you’re not saying it’s unfair but you want to get away with it? That’s honest except for your assumption of what goes on at schools at certain times. Schools have many extra curricular activities. It’s the nature of schools. So using that as your logic we could all do things in our lives that put other people’s lives at risk based on our convenient assumptions. I don’t believe that works, do you? As for getting off then you could go to court and defend it in the usual way of questioning the accuracy of the equipment the memory of the people involved in servicing the equipment etc etc. Occasionally if you are clever enough you can game the system. If you can be bothered and the gain to you is worth it.

    • chrisharry53 on 14/01/2021 - 08:59

      This was not on the first day of term, it was the LAST day of the school year. Teacher across the road told me on the Wednesday they were all done and dusted due to teachers making an agreement to do PD during the term. If it was on the Mon, Tues or Wednesday I would have no issue.

      • MontyMacaw on 14/01/2021 - 09:06

        Yes but a school day is a school day so anybody in that zone should expect traffic to be travelling at the required speed. This affects judgement in estimating the speed of oncoming traffic. If it was a freeway for example one would expect vehicles to be travelling at high speed and make judgements accordingly when negotiating any interactions that involve entering that environment. Similarly if you were in a supermarket car park you would expect vehicles to be travelling at a safe speed for that environment. Even if the shops had just closed.

        • chrisharry53 on 14/01/2021 - 09:54

          A bit off topic really, but how many people slow down in school zones on non school days causing confusion for other drivers? Put flashing lights in every school zone and, as they are programmed, turn them off on a day NO students are required to be at school.

          Once more, I always slow down in school zones but admit I have missed the odd sign due to no flashing lights as distracted by other traffic or whatever. If a day when students are at school, I would cop it in the chin.

          • MontyMacaw on 14/01/2021 - 16:48
            +2

            @chrisharry53: You raise a valid point. It can be annoying when people play safe and slow down anyway. Not everyone is up with the school calendar. However it won’t change your life very much if you tolerate it. Better that than blasé speeding through school zones.

  • bargainbrats on 14/01/2021 - 08:42

    I know speeding in school zones is different but my mum went to court as she got fined for parking in a bus stop in a school zone and the judge let her off as she has a clean driving history not even a parking fine till this one as she didnt know it was a bus stop ..so take it to court n see if the judge is having a goid day

  • whooah1979 on 14/01/2021 - 10:01
    +1

    In NSW, 17/12 and 18/12 were teacher education days with no pupils. However, in our area (booked at Gateshead), teachers stayed back after school on many days to do the development work.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20201127151205/https://education…

    2020 school development days
    Eastern division – 28 January 2020
    Western division – 4 February 2020
    All schools – 27 April, 28 April, 20 July, 17 December, 18 December 2020

    Speed zones
    School speed zonesExternal link operate on all notified school days, including school development days.

    You could try and have the fine heard in Court. Work on your sobbing and tell them how difficult 2020 was for your family both emotionally and financially. Apologies for doing the wrong thing and for any hurt you may have caused.

  • OzHunterNSW on 14/01/2021 - 10:25
    +3

    So me get this straight… your wife speeds through a designated school zone, and all you want to do is scam your way out of the fine.

    It amazes me how people post these things without realising how deleterious it rebounds on their own character.

    Maybe you should stay back at school and read your road rule book.

    • chrisharry53 on 14/01/2021 - 11:24
      -5

      OzHunter - You have not read all the details and some of the supporting comments that it is ludicrous to have a school zone operating 2 days after the students and teachers have finished for the year.

      • GG57 on 14/01/2021 - 13:42

        You may think it is ludicrous.
        I may think it is ludicrous that any number of laws, rules, regulations, etc., are in place. But our society requires us to comply with those, or pay the penalty.

      • Zondor on 15/01/2021 - 12:21
        +1

        Yes I to upon approaching a school zone instantly know the status of the school year and know 100% that there are no kids at that school at that given time.

        If you too would like this ability, call 1800 DOESNOTEXIST

  • Hithere on 14/01/2021 - 15:32
    +5

    Still not getting the answers you want eh OP?

    • chrisharry53 on 14/01/2021 - 21:07
      -3

      Such a clever comment

  • lltravel on 14/01/2021 - 21:40
    -2

    if your kid runs onto the road, it shows how dumb the parents are for not teaching their children the right thing.

    Really these speed limits are pointless. Nothing but revenue raising.

    • snirodha on 14/01/2021 - 22:46

      If you talking about high school kids i totally agree. I nearly hit a primary school kid who escaped from parents hands and ran across the road. Luckily i was doing 35kph. Little kids are unpredictable.

      • Lord Fart Bucket on 15/01/2021 - 06:13
        +3

        At 35kph you can react. At 49kph that is less likely. Wow… could this be a reason for school zones?

        • snirodha on 15/01/2021 - 10:27

          Not only 49. There are school zones in 60, 70 zones.

    • whooah1979 on 15/01/2021 - 10:07

      People like smooth roads and clean parks. It's only fair that those that can't follow the rules should pay for it.

  • deme on 14/01/2021 - 22:07
    +1

    I have a friend who went to court over doing the normal speed limit of 60 in a school zone on the staff dev day. They had their fine and points reversed..

    It can't hurt to try ask Revenue NSW nicely but I suspect they will reject it based on that it's what the law says.
    Depending on whether or not you want to argue in front of a magistrate if your call.

    • chrisharry53 on 15/01/2021 - 08:19

      deme - exactly what I was seeking, whether anyone had success under similar circumstances and not whether school zone speed limits are the right thing to have, etc, etc that a lot of posters want to carry on about.

  • snirodha on 14/01/2021 - 22:40
    +2

    "BTW, she was going closer to 60 and was slowing down when she realised but obviously too late."

    Why did she slow down? She knew she is in a school zone. Should have done 40.

  • ShortyX on 15/01/2021 - 01:00
    +3

    School zone days (as shown above) include school development days, also known as student-free days, because some students may attend their school on these days.

    https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/schools/…

  • Scot on 15/01/2021 - 01:05

    My brother ( who is a High School Teacher) was attending a teaching session at another school at the end of the year on a pupil free day to do some education got pinged and fined for driving over 40 in a school zone. Decided to contest in court and represented himself and explained the circumstances and was let off with No fine and No demerit points. Might be worth pursuing!

    • chrisharry53 on 15/01/2021 - 08:21

      Scot - that is now 2 examples of a magistrate using commonsense, unlike a lot of posters who just want to be smart, argumentative, etc. Thanks.

    • burningrage on 15/01/2021 - 09:40
      +2

      Common sense prevails.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 15/01/2021 - 08:46
    +1

    My sister's hairdresser's boyfriend's cousin drove 70km through a school zone and took it to court. Got the fine and demerit points reversed, was given a gold star, got a hand shake from the Premier and the very hot duty clerk even asked her out on a date that very night, took her out for a nice seafood dinner but unfortunately never called her again.

  • payless69 on 15/01/2021 - 10:08
    +1

    Kids have common sense and can run, teachers are stubborn and need nanny care, you have zero chance!

  • lonewolf on 15/01/2021 - 11:38
    +1

    Of course its revenue raising, even cops i know admit that to me. There are much better ways of handling it if they cared purely about safety. And the biggest issue isnt cars driving by, its the cars doing drop off / pick up and double parking and doing u-turns and having kids and other cars trying to handle getting around the double parked and sometimes triple parked cars and cars going slowly looking for parking or trying to do a u-turn.

  • Trioboy on 15/01/2021 - 11:49

    Not sure if this is helpful, but last time I got a speeding fine (around 15 years ago) I manage to get it significantly reduced by opting to go to court and writing a letter to the judge. I had to pay like 50 dollars in court fees. They didn't budge on the demerit points though. I'm not sure if you can still do this.

  • cyrax83 on 15/01/2021 - 12:15

    How much is the fine/demerit?

    • chrisharry53 on 15/01/2021 - 14:50

      $203 and 2. Affects insurance renewals and perhaps CTP as well depending on the company.

      • GG57 on 15/01/2021 - 16:23
        +1

        All of these comments and a trip to court, and all the work in getting supporting information, trying to get out of only a $203 fine? For a speeding violation that your wife admits to?
        My time is worth more than that, but each to their own I suppose.

        • chrisharry53 on 15/01/2021 - 18:49
          -1

          So why waste it adding a stupid comment

      • whooah1979 on 15/01/2021 - 17:08
        +2

        $203 and two demerit points is cheap for speeding in a school zone. The RRP is $489 and 2 demerit points for speeding with a Class C licence in a school zone.

        May be this should be posted as a deal.

        • holdenmg on 15/01/2021 - 19:41

          Wait, RRP?

          I reckon Officeworks will pricematch that but only same product and in stock.

          I'll get out of your way now… lol

  • punter1 on 15/01/2021 - 14:30

    How much was the fine?

  • Kranbone on 15/01/2021 - 17:24

    If the day is not listed as an official school holiday you'll have no chance. It's not the answer you're looking for I know.

    • chrisharry53 on 15/01/2021 - 18:48
      -2

      Ta but I have read a post where the person was booked 7 days after a private school closed early in term 4, like they do. They got a warning,

      • Kranbone on 15/01/2021 - 22:22

        I've never heard of this and I managed a large fleet of work cars.

        I'd love to see it, can they produce evidence of the warning?

  • holdenmg on 15/01/2021 - 19:38

    If there was ever a lyric to be matched to a thread…

    I fought the law and the law won.
    Sonny Curtis.

    Fun Fact:
    Also wrote the theme song of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, "Love Is All Around",

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