Speed is the biggest killer on our roads. In 2020, 47% of fatalities in 2020 were in crashes in 110 km/h speed zones. Between 2016 and 2020, 1662 people were killed or seriously injured in speed-related crashes. If you do crash, the speed at which you are travelling impacts the risk of injury to you, your passengers and other road users. For every 5km/h increase in travelling speed in a 60km/h zone, the risk of being injured in a crash doubles. At 65km/h the chance of having a crash resulting in injury doubles, it’s four times more likely at 70km/h and the risk increases by 32 times at 80km/h. Your stopping distance due to speeding could be the difference between someone escaping with little more than a scare and a pedestrian losing their life.
In Western Australia, 100% of all red light and speed camera infringements go into the Road Trauma Trust Account. Those funds are then allocated to improve road safety across WA.
Please be aware this page only relates to people that have received a traffic ticket at first instance and are not being summoned to appear at court (that is there is no date to go to court). Please ensure you read all the examples as they cover multiple situations. If you have a court date because police have summoned you to attend court or police have indicated that you will receive a summons in the mail, click back to the home page or select the relevant offence at the bottom of this page. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS REGARDING SPEED, DRINK, DRUG DRIVING INFRINGEMENT TICKETS ONLY: I have received a demerit point offence that will mean I will lose my licence or I received a traffic infringement notice stating I must be suspended or disqualified from driving and I am guilty of the offence but I need my driver’s license for work, what can I do? The short answer is nothing.
Will taking the matter to the Magistrates Court allow me to ask the Magistrate to reduce the time due to family hardship or other factors?
Can I get a work licence in Victoria? Again the short answer is no.
Please consider these examples: Example 1: (Speeding)
Example 2: (Breach of Vicroads 12 month bond)
Example 3: (Drink driving infringement)
Example 4: (Drug driving infringement)
Example 5: (Speeding in a school zone) Other questions answered in relation to trying to avoid Vicroads accruing the demerit point or period of suspension against you: What if the Magistrate imposes a non-conviction in relation to the demerit point offence?
What if I wait until I get all my points back from Vicroads and then plead guilty at Court, won’t that avoid the suspension?
I want to plead not guilty to the traffic infringement notice: If the notice relates to a speeding offence, there are defenses available. Things to consider in relation to challenging these types of matters:
Laser measuring devices: The most difficult offences to challenge are those relating to speeding offences detected by laser measuring device. They can be challenged but it is always very technical, it might involve a user error, it might involve an incorrectly signed area or a straight factual dispute to give some examples. It is always expensive to challenge these types of infringements. It can involve experts or pawing through police user manuals. Costs can range from $3000 – $10000 depending on the type of defence applicable to your situation. If an expert is required it could be more. Radar Devices: Radar devices are more easily challenged but again will incur a similar cost in running the matter to contested hearing. Our advice:
But if you are only challenging the infringement because you will be disqualified or suspended from driving, please consider the above information. If there is no basis to contest the matter you need to consider accepting your suspension otherwise you risk losing money fighting an unwinnable battle and still losing your licence at the end of it all. These are the kind of outcomes we like to avoid for our clients. Moving Forward: After considering the above information if you would like preliminary advice, you can contest the infringement, you will then be issued with a preliminary brief of evidence and from there we can give you some advice. We will charge you $440 to do this. Please be aware that if our advice is that you will have huge difficulty fighting the matter, the matter cannot then be withdrawn from Court, you will have to attend or send someone on your behalf. It is not advisable to just not show up after deciding you no longer want to contest the matter. |