An outraged motorist claimed he was fined $410 after his passenger was falsely accused of not wearing a seatbelt correctly.
The driver received a ticket from Transport for NSW explaining that a surveillance camera had caught his passenger incorrectly wearing a seat belt.
But the man insists that the photographs are of poor quality and do not prove the crime.
“My friend was wearing a seat belt,” he said. yahoo.
“Even so, I still have a penalty notice.” I appealed and it was rejected.’
Camera photos appear grainy, making it difficult to tell whether the passenger is properly wearing the seat belt over the shoulder or otherwise.
The driver said he had chosen to pay the fine because it was not worth fighting it, putting his visa or citizenship applications at risk.
Transport for NSW said artificial intelligence is first used to assess the images before they go through “several stages of human review”.
The man insists that the photographs taken by the cameras are of poor quality and do not prove the crime.
NSW introduced the new roadside cameras earlier this year. In the first three weeks of operation they had imposed nearly 11,500 fines.
The cameras are designed to detect drivers who are using their phones, incorrectly wearing their seat belts, or not wearing them at all.
Drivers are responsible for ensuring that their passengers wear their seat belts correctly; Otherwise, they can receive a fine of $410 and three demerit points.
They can review footage of their alleged crime online and request a review by Revenue NSW or take the matter to court.
The driver is not the first to complain about the exorbitant fines imposed on people caught incorrectly wearing seat belts.
Alice Brennan, a New South Wales woman, said she was fined $410 after she was caught making a small mistake while traveling in a car.
‘I JUST RECEIVED A FINE OF $410 FOR TEMPORARILY WEARING MY SEAT BELT THIS WAY. Surely that’s not correct?’ Ms. Brennan wrote on LinkedIn.
One photo showed Brennan sitting in the front with the seat belt crossed diagonally across her stomach, rather than in the standard position over her shoulder.
Social media users sympathized with Ms Brennan and criticized the fine.
‘That’s completely ridiculous! Appeal if you can!’ another wrote.