Sydney driver cops $2050 fine for ‘common sense’ road rule

A Sydney motorist has warned other Aussies that they could face a hefty fine if they forget about this “basic” road rule.

An Australian worker at a car rental company has issued a warning to other motorists after a customer received a hefty fine for a seatbelt violation.

The Sydney local took to Reddit to share a photo of a $2050 fine that stated the driver was caught with a passenger whose seatbelt was not properly adjusted or fastened.

“I work for a car rental company, and I’ve been seeing more of these incidents pop up in the last few months,” he wrote.

“This poor fellow got hit with double demerits. In this case, the passenger was wearing the seatbelt under their shoulder.”

The fine was issued after they were caught on the M4 Motorway near Greystanes by a seatbelt detection camera on December 22, 2024.

Because the driver was using a company car, the fines were five times higher than for individual vehicles.

A man has copped a hefty fine for his passenger not wearing their seatbelt correctly. Picture: Reddit

“Once a driver is nominated, the fine will reduce,” the notice read. “If you don’t nominate a driver, you will have to pay the full fine amount of $2050 and face an additional fine of over $1400.”

The man ended up having to pay $400 but will also lose six demerit points.

In the comments section, users expressed confusion over how someone could make such a reckless mistake.

“This is literally part of the Driver Knowledge Test and the road users handbook,” one user commented.

However, another Redditor pointed out that “it’s a hire car company,” suggesting that “chances are the user isn’t local.”

They added, “A lot of the policing tools we use here are unfamiliar overseas. While you should always follow the rules, I question how aware some tourists would be of how strict we are unless it’s spelled out to them.”

“I can’t understand how one could wear a seatbelt incorrectly – it’s designed to click in normally and then the strap should go over the shoulder. Most importantly, why?” another confused user wrote.

“Some people think it’s uncomfortable to wear it the right way,” someone else explained. “People really disregard safety when it comes to cars,” another frustrated reader claimed. “They should look a videos of people flying through windscreens.”

“Nothing excuses people from knowing the road rules,” they added.

The passenger was wearing their seatbelt under their arm. Picture: Queensland Government/Street Smarts

Seatbelt rules

According to the NSW Government, seatbelts double the chance of survival and significantly reduce the risk of injury in a road crash.

Each year, approximately 29 people are killed and 76 are seriously injured on NSW roads due to not wearing a seatbelt.

Drivers are required to wear their seatbelts properly and ensure that all passengers are seated in their own seats with secured seatbelts or in appropriate child car seats.

For a seatbelt to be considered safe, it must sit “low, flat, and firm.”

The lap portion should lie across the bony section of the hips, and the sash should fall across the chest and mid-shoulder.

If a driver is not wearing a seatbelt or fails to ensure that their passengers are wearing seatbelts properly, they will be fined and lose demerit points.

Drivers are required to ensure all passengers are wearing their seatbelts correctly. Picture: iStock

Starting from July 1, 2024, phone and seatbelt detection cameras will monitor drivers and passengers who are not wearing seatbelts correctly.

Although it has been mandatory to wear seatbelts in NSW for over 50 years, lives continue to be lost due to people choosing not to wear them or wearing them incorrectly.

The cameras detect incorrectly worn seatbelts as well as those not being worn at all by drivers and passengers.

If you receive a fine but believe you have not committed an offence, you can request a review from Revenue NSW.

Exemptions to the requirement of wearing a seatbelt properly are very limited.

Drivers with a full (unrestricted) licence do not have to wear a seatbelt when they are reversing their vehicle or when driving a garbage or delivery vehicle that travels below 25 km/h and needs to stop frequently.