‘What the actual f**k?’: Secret speed camera shocker that can land you $5000 fine

A Gold Coast mother has learnt about a little known speed camera rule the hard way when she was slapped with a huge fine. HAVE YOUR SAY

A Gold Coast mother has learnt about a little known traffic infringement rule the hard way after she was fined more than $5,000 for wearing her seatbelt incorrectly.

Lauren Hyland was snapped by new high-tech traffic monitoring cameras with her seatbelt under her arm instead of on top, an offence that would usually see the guilty party fined $1,078 and docked four demerit points.

But instead of the usual fine, Ms Hyland was hit with a whopping $5,390 fine because she was behind the wheel of a business car instead of a personally registered vehicle at the time of the incident.

“What the actual f**k,” Ms Hyland wrote on social media alongside a snap of her fine.

“Because my seatbelt was under my arm, not on top. $5,390!”

Lauren Hyland's $5000 seatbelt fine. Photo: Instagram

In Queensland, traffic infringements charged to company vehicles are five times the dollar amount private car owners would pay to accommodate for the lack of a demerit point scheme for businesses.

It means that for motorists like Ms Hyland, who was driving a car registered to a business when she was fined, instead of losing the four demerit points associated with the offence of not wearing a seatbelt correctly, they pay a fine five times higher.

For example, someone snapped speeding less than 11km/h over the speed limit in their own car would be fined $287 and docked one demerit point, but if they were caught in a company car, the business would be fined $1,435 and no points, while those who fail to stop at a red traffic light would be slugged $2,875 instead of the regular $575 and three demerit points.

Some businesses may keep tabs on who drives company cars at certain times and make the driver behind the wheel pay the entire fine, but there is a way you can save some pain in the hip pocket if you’re willing to sacrifice some of those all-important demerit points.

Ms Hyland shared her shocking fine on Instagram.

Motorists or businesses who have been fined for running a red light, speeding, travelling with dangerous goods in a tunnel, disobeying ‘No Truck’ signs, using a mobile phone, and not properly wearing a seatbelt can request to transfer the fine to the responsible party by completing an online nomination or a statutory declaration.

Fines issued for driving unregistered and uninsured offences can also be transferred, but only if the vehicle was sold, disposed of, or stolen before the offence.

To transfer a fine from a company car to the individual driver at fault, an online driver nomination form must be completed within 28 days of the offence.

You can complete the online driver nomination form, which can be found on the Department of Transport and Main Roads website, if:

- A fine was issued to you or your organisation, but another person was driving

- A fine was issued to another person or organisation, but you were driving

- You sold or disposed of the vehicle before the fine was issued

- The vehicle was stolen or illegally taken before the fine was issued

You can also complete a statutory declaration if you choose not to complete the online form.

To do so, you will need to specify the full name and address of the person in control of the vehicle at the time of the incident.