Woman goes viral after she rants about $745 fine for not wearing seatbelt 'correctly' in car passenger seat
QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA: After a traffic camera in Queensland identified a lady who was improperly wearing her seatbelt, the Queensland Police fined her an eye-watering 1,078 AUD (~$745) and four penalty points. Here's the rub, she wasn't even driving. Hailey Gillard, who was in the passenger seat, posted a video on TikTok to complain about the massive fine, delivering a warning to her 12k followers on the platform.
Hailey said, "If you’re having a bad day, at least it’s not as bad as mine. I just got fined $1,078 for wearing my seatbelt incorrectly, which my seatbelt was underneath my arm because I was a bit car sick. So I had to lean over and I got a $1000 (~$691) fine from the big policio. Ahh, life is good … might cry later." Many of her social media viewers responded to the video, with some even sharing similar experiences.
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One person wrote in the comment section, "You can try to dispute it. Not sure if they'll let you off but worth a try," to which Gillard replied, "I'm not sure if it’s worth it, I would have to go to court to dispute it...that’s ok lesson learnt." Another viewer added, "I got six demerits for the same thing, about $400 I think," to which Gillard said, "I totally understand the fine for not wearing my seatbelt correctly but I was in the passenger seat and $1,000 is a lot."
@haileygillard1 Laughing now but I’ll be crying tonight #australia #fyp ♬ original sound - HaileyGillard
Another user wrote, "Not sure why the fine is $1000 when usually it's around $400." "I drive like that all the time, I’m five foot, I can’t drive with the belt choking me all the time," another added. "My partner got the same fine while driving because I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt correctly but the photo showed me wearing it correctly," yet another user remarked.
@haileygillard1 Replying to @KJ totally understand the reason of the fine but god $1000 is a lot hahaha. Don’t do what I did 😂😭 #fyp ♬ original sound - HaileyGillard
Meanwhile, according to 9 News, in Queensland, the rules state, "Seatbelts must be worn with the belt over your shoulder, running across your chest and be buckled low on your hip. Wearing a seatbelt any other way will result in a fine." Gillard warned her followers of the hefty price they might have to pay if they are busted for the seemingly innocent error. She said, "It was a bit of a shock because I was in the passenger seat. As you can see in the photo, my mugshot photo, I still have my seatbelt on but because my arm was over it it’s still a fine. Be really careful on the roads, even if you’re wearing a seatbelt, wear it properly because don’t do what I did and get a $1000 fine."
