Aussie driver forced to cough up more than $400 for breaking seatbelt rule

An Aussie mum has issued a warning to motorists after a big fine arrived in the mail for a mistake captured in the family car.

The mother, from NSW, took to social media where she explained that her husband was now more than $420 lighter in the pocket.

“Recently, on a late night trip back from Sydney when the girls saw Tyler, The Creator, we got pinged by a seatbelt detection camera on the M1 near the truck weigh station,” she said.

The post was accompanied by an image showing her daughter’s front passenger-side seatbelt clipped in.

It is understood the issue was that her right arm was tucked underneath the shoulder strap, meaning the sash did not sit correctly across her chest as it is meant to.

Beside the fine, the driver also copped three demerit points.

The mum told 7NEWS.com.au she was not disputing the fine, and shared the post to alert others.

“The idea was to warn people the cameras were there so they didn’t get caught. Seatbelts save lives,” she said.

The post has attracted hundreds of comments, including from Queensland where drivers said they had been stung more than $1200 for the same thing.

“My cousin got done in Qld for being the passenger, just having (the seatbelt) around his waist and not over one shoulder,” one person said.

“Four demerit points and $1251 fine — Brutal.”

Another driving her daughter to the same concert “got done too northbound on the Hume Hwy”.

“She turned around to talk to her friends. I have never had a fine, so this one hurt,” the mother said.

A third said: “We go to concerts often in Sydney and I didn’t even know about it.”

In NSW, more than 180 people were killed while not buckled up between 2019 and 2024.

Seatbelt detection cameras began enforcing NSW’s seatbelt laws in July, 2024, with more than 11,400 fines issued in the first three weeks.

Among shocking cases were instances of unrestrained babies and children sharing seats.

The state government said the seatbelt enforcement program was working, but there is work to do.

“Over 140 million vehicles have been monitored since this program launched, with well over 99 per cent of motorists demonstrating compliance,” Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said in July.

“Some of the images collected are truly shocking, including multiple people in the same seatbelt or no seatbelt at all.

“While the improvement in non-compliance is encouraging, we’re witnessing far too many offences involving passengers wearing seatbelts incorrectly, with approximately 75,000 recorded offences over the past year.”

Seatbelt compliance

National Roads and Motorists’ Association said wearing a seatbelt is “essential”.

“The sash should run from your hip to your shoulder and not ride up on your neck or pass across your upper arm,” NRMA’s Principal Road Safety Advisor Dimitra Vlahomitros said.

“The lap part of the seatbelt should sit across the bony section of the hips and under the belly. “If you’re shorter or taller than average, you especially might need to adjust your seatbelt. “There is typically a mechanism that allows the attachment to slide up or down, so the belt sash will pass across your body in the correct position. “The seatbelt shouldn’t be loose or have any twists in it. “An ill-fitting seatbelt may not restrain an occupant properly or could itself inflict injury in the event of a crash.”