Drivers avoid fines and get warning instead for speeding offences

Thousands of Victorian motorists have been given a second chance and avoided a fine after being caught speeding on the state’s roads this year. Here’s how they did it.

Thousands of motorists in Victoria avoid speeding fines each year and get official warnings instead.

Police issue official warnings at a rate of 409 a week.

Traffic infringement statistics show that in the past ­financial year, 21,288 warnings were issued statewide for breaches of road rules.

SPEEDING DRIVERS TO FACE TOUGH NEW PENALTIES

VICTORIA SET FOR LOWEST ROAD TOLL SINCE RECORDS BEGAN

VICTORIA POLICE FIGURES REVEAL WORST SPOTS FOR ROAD RAGE

The intersection of Warrigal and Batesford roads, responsible for the most fines.

Of these, 16,738 people were warned over fixed and mobile camera offences, and 1258 over toll-related breaches.

Another 3292 warnings went to speeders fined on-the-spot.

Anyone caught speeding by less than 10kmh can apply to Victoria Police for a review of their infringement and ask that it be replaced with an official warning.

They must be able to argue that the offence was committed in exceptional circumstances; if successful, they can win a waiver of their fine and cancellation of demerit points.

Until 2015, drivers who were speeding by 10-14kmh were also able to seek such a review, but this was scrapped.

A camera at the intersection of Warrigal and Batesford roads in Chadstone was responsible for the issuing of more fines than any other ­single location, accounting for 31.9 per cent of all infringements ­issued across the state.

Police issue official warnings to speeding motorists at a rate of 409 a week. File image.

In the past financial year, 35,075 fines were issued to motorists in that 40kmh zone, raking in a total of $8.4 million.

Authorities say they are also on the lookout for Victorians who attempt to rort the demerit points system, after the conviction earlier this year of a man who transferred more than 1300 traffic infringements to false identities.

Broadmeadows man Ab­dullah Chechen was jailed for 3½ years for using a series of fake names to forge driving permits, and then taking cash payments from other drivers to ­divert more than $260,000 in fines and charges.

Crime Statistics Agency ­figures show there have been 89 people charged in the past five years for such offences.

Victoria is on track to rec­ord its lowest road toll since records began — 211 as of last night, compared with 258 at the same time last year.

The Transport Accident Commission is aiming to bring the annual total of lives lost on Victoria’s roads to fewer than 200 by 2020.

[e-mail]

@KieranRooneyCM