Last week’s story about a truckie fined $1,500 and four demerit points for avoiding a car, sparked online debate…here we catch up with the driver
Glenn ‘Yogi’ Kendall Yogi says he’s asked for a review of the infringement notice and urges all drivers to do the same if they suspect anything is out of order.
“If you get a heavy vehicle infringement and you think there are elements that are wrong, ask for a letter of review,” Yogi says.
“It is your right.”
In twenty years driving within the camera network, Yogi says this is the first time he’s been pinged.
“I’ve driven under Safe-T-Cams since they were first introduced and this is my first fine in 20 years,” he explains.
“All I did was move a foot over to the left, to avoid a car.
“If I’m driving over the centre line, throw it at me, I deserve it, but the fog line…people don’t even know that’s the law.”
Truckie threatened with $60,000 fine for 6-minute logbook breach
This comes the same week as mainstream media coverage, as can be seen below, accusing truck drivers of avoiding cameras by slipstreaming.
Yogi believes the fines truck drivers face are too high and don’t align with the offence.
“What’s the fine for driving a car on the fog line? Everything in heavy vehicles is a bigger fine; the fine does not match the crime.”
Road transport and safety advocate Rod Hannifey seconds Yogi’s comments, questioning the severity of some heavy vehicle fines.
“Even if you believe there to be some safety hazard, if you look at the penalty of that fine and then you look at the penalties for severe speeding it’s just not balanced,” Hannifey says.
“You have a look at what a minor speeding offence is, then you look at a minor fatigue offence which often doesn’t include demerit points, then you look at crossing a white bit of paint and it’s $1,500 and four points.
“How do they justify that in any way?”
Hannifey urges drivers to utilise their right to seek a review of an offence and says he’s done so many times over the years.
“You can seek a letter of review,” he says.
“You write in seeking a review of the offence and once you submit that letter the fine is held until the decision is made.”
In the below video produced in June Hannifey pushed for a review of Safe-T-Cam fine types, calling for distance lines on the road and a review of the white line infringements.
READERS: Have you contested an heavy vehicle infrignement notice and what was the outcome? Send us a message on Facebook or email cobey.bartels@bauertrader.com.au