Aussies paying $600m a year in parking finds: survey

Australian drivers are paying an absurd amount of money every year in fines, with some states bearing the brunt of the costs.

Australian drivers are wasting an absurd amount of money every year simply by parking in the wrong spot.

A new survey from comparison website Finder has revealed one in four Aussie motorists have copped at least one parking fine in the past two years.

According to Finder, Australians have spent $1.2 billion over two years, or $600m a year.

Western Australian drivers were found to be the biggest offenders, with road users paying $75 a year on average.

NSW motorists were found to have spent the least with an average yearly cost of $54.

Queenslanders paid the second most per average at $64, followed by South Australia ($62) and Victoria ($61).

One in four road users have received a parking fine in the past two years.

NSW drivers appear less likely to risk a parking fine, paying less overall despite the state’s relatively high minimum penalty of $116.

The minimum costs of fines vary widely around the country. Victoria has the cheapest starting point at $33, followed by Western Australia ($50), Queensland ($66) and South Australia ($144).

Getting a parking fine can have some unexpected penalties beyond the initial hit to your wallet, says Finder’s insurance specialist, Taylor Blackburn.

“Parking fines are unexpected and infuriating, but they can also harm your credit score if left unpaid,” says Blackburn.

South Australia has the highest minimum cost for a parking fine at $144.

“Some parking infringements can also result in demerit points which can push up the price of your car insurance premium.

“While one ticket is unlikely to impact your insurance, a track record of parking fines will — especially if they’re left unpaid,” he says.

If you think you’ve been fined incorrectly you can take the matter up with the council, says Blackburn.

“If you think you’ve been wrongly fined, you have every right to contest your ticket, but you’ll need to gather evidence like photos and receipts,” he says.

“You can appeal to the local council or choose to appear in court — just remember that if you lose you’ll be faced with your parking ticket as well as court fees and your lost time.”

It may seem like a risk, but according to data from the City of Melbourne, 23 per cent of fines were withdrawn after being contested in 2018-2019.

The survey also showed Millennials were the most likely to cop a fine, while men get caught out more than women.

Parking signs can often be confusing.

One of the biggest mistakes road users make is misreading confusing signs.

Software developer UbiPark estimates that roughly one in four of the $190 million in NSW parking fines are a result of confusion, and it now has an app to address the issue.

The developers claim the new app, available in the App and Google Play stores, uses new parking sign scanning tech that can decipher even the most confusing parking signs.