Dad’s urgent holiday warning after one mistake from his young daughter cost him a $410 fine: ‘Ruined Christmas!’
A single father has urged motorists traveling with their loved ones over the holidays to be extra vigilant after he was fined $410 because his daughter leaned over in her car seat.
The NSW man, who is divorced on TikTok, was shocked when he received the fine in the post after recently heading out with his nine-year-old daughter.
He explained how an unfortunately placed cell phone detection camera captured the exact moment his daughter’s seatbelt slipped off her shoulder for a split second as she leaned over to talk to him.
The father shared his story in the hope that other motorists will learn from his costly mistake with double demerits currently in place in NSW until January 2.
“I looked at the pictures and honestly, she’s leaning over,” he explained in the video.
‘It came loose and there was nothing I could have done. I told her safety; She knows the rules. She was just loaned out by mistake, and that got me fined, and there’s no way out.”
‘So watch your children this Christmas, pay attention to those seat belts and if you start to have doubts [them]talk to your children about it.
He joked that his nine-year-old “unknowingly ruined Christmas.”
The NSW father warned other motorists to pay attention to their seat belt use
NSW began using mobile phone detection cameras to record seat belt violations in July.
About 11,400 fines of $410 were issued in the first three weeks after the rule went into effect.
Penalties vary across Australia, with Queensland issuing the highest fine of $1209 and four demerit points to offending drivers.
In Victoria, drivers are fined $395 and given three demerit points.
Many TikTok viewers shared similar stories.
‘Yes. My 10 year old did me too. The same as you were ‘out of tune’ with me. But it happened in Queensland: $1300 and four demerit points! We fought it and won,” one mother wrote.
Another added: ‘Queensland my daughter has just arrived [a] seat belt fine for over $1000! There was a giant huntsman spider in the car and her friend tried to lean away from it and was photographed by a camera. It’s cruel.’
In several states, double demerit points apply during the holiday season when thousands of motorists take to the roads
Others labeled the case a “blatant revenue increase.”
‘I’m sorry this happened, the same thing happened to my brother with their daughter in Queensland, but [the] The fine was much higher and they were unable to contest the charges,” one person wrote.
Another added: “Dispute it. I got one because I had a mosquito bite scratched on my shoulder, under the seat belt. Having my hand there was not allowed, I was released because it was really a split second.”
Some were unhappy about receiving demerit points for seat belt violations.
The rules for penalty points vary from state to state.
In NSW, double penalty Penalties apply until January 2.
In Western Australia, double points started on December 20 and ends on January 5.
In the ACT, drivers face double demerit points during the same period as NSW.
Drivers in Queensland will not receive double demerit points over the Christmas period, but repeat offenders can receive double demerit points for subsequent offenses throughout the year.
Victoria does not maintain a dual penalty system, but motorists caught breaking interstate rules will be penalized in accordance with local traffic laws.