Mark Stephens: School bus driver appeals licence suspension after off-duty speeding
A school bus driver who was caught speeding along a NSW south coast highway has not helped his bid to overturn a licence suspension, giving an unpopular excuse for his dangerous actions.
The South Coast News
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A school bus driver has told a court the speed limit was “too low” in his bid to overturn a licence suspension for speeding.
Mark Stephens, a 66-year-old school bus driver, was driving his personal car along the 90km/h Princes Hwy outside of Batemans Bay, when he decided to overtake a vehicle, travelling more than 30km above the limit.
The “extremely dangerous” manoeuvre was caught by highway patrol officers travelling in the opposite direction, who pulled him over and suspended his licence for three months.
A self represented Stephens appeared in the Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday to appeal the suspension, stating he needed his licence for his job as a school bus driver.
“My sister told me not to say this in court, but the speed limit is too low,” he said.
“That’s not a very strong argument,” Magistrate Michael Love replied.
Mr Love said Stephens should have known better given his occupation.
“This is an extremely dangerous offence and more than 30 is very high,” he said.
Mr Love also said the 66-year-old man’s traffic record did not assist him, labelling it “very poor”.
Stephens continued to justify his decision, saying the manoeuvre was simply an overtake, however Mr Love said speeding was dangerous and could have dire consequences.
“If something goes wrong, it’s a catastrophe,” he said.
“You’re dead, other people are dead.”
The bus driver urged the court to reconsider his licence suspension, given his obvious need for one to complete his job.
Mr Love reduced the three month suspension by one month, however warned Stephens not to speed again.
“You should have known better,” he said.
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