NSW: $34 million in six months from Seatbelt fines

Drivers across NSW are up in arms over a wave of seatbelt fines, with many claiming they’ve been wrongly penalized. In just six months, the state government has issued a staggering $34 million in fines—thanks to new seatbelt detection cameras rolled out in July 2024.

The numbers are shocking. Compared to the same period in 2023, there’s been a 1427% spike in seatbelt-related fines. More than 70,000 fines have been issued since July—compared to just 4,600 the year before.

The system works like this: AI-powered cameras snap photos of drivers and passengers who might not be wearing seatbelts properly. Those images are then reviewed by Revenue NSW before fines are sent out. But some drivers say the system is getting it wrong.

“The photo proves I was wearing my seatbelt”

Samantha*, a driver from north-west Sydney, was slapped with a $410 fine on Christmas Day for allegedly wearing her seatbelt incorrectly. But she insists the evidence proves her innocence.

“I was really cranky,” she said. “You can clearly see in the photo that my seatbelt is on.”

Despite lodging two appeals, her fine was rejected. Revenue NSW claims the seatbelt’s shoulder strap was under her arm.

“That’s not true,” Samantha said. “It was sitting between my shoulder and collarbone.”

To make matters worse, because the fine fell during the holiday season, she also copped double demerits—six points instead of three.

Melbourne driver Seth* had a similar experience. He was fined after visiting Sydney last August because his passenger’s seatbelt was allegedly under his arm.

“That wasn’t the case at all,” Seth said. “The photos aren’t clear, but we were both wearing seatbelts.”

Like Samantha, his appeal was also rejected.

“The seatbelt slipped down slightly—how is that a fine?”

Nicole, another driver from north-west Sydney, was fined just before Christmas while traveling to Noosa with her fiancé. The fine claimed he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt correctly.

But according to Nicole, the photo shows his seatbelt was on—just slightly lower on his shoulder.

“It’s still across his shoulder, it just slipped down a bit,” she said. “In the second photo, the seatbelt is partly blocked by the car’s frame. How can they fine us based on that?”

She plans to fight the fine.

Can you challenge these fines?

According to Sydney lawyer Avinash Singh, drivers can take the matter to court.

“If the photos are ambiguous, the court often rules in favor of the driver,” Singh said. “The prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the seatbelt wasn’t worn correctly.”

One issue, Singh said, is that black-and-white photos can make it difficult to tell if someone is wearing a seatbelt—especially if they have dark clothing.

“The use of color photos would provide far more clarity,” he said. “It’s unclear why Transport NSW isn’t using them.”

Government response: “It’s about saving lives”

Transport for NSW says every fine goes through multiple human reviews before being issued.

“Wearing a seatbelt is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent serious injury or death,” a spokesperson said.

In 2024 alone, 39 people died in crashes where they weren’t wearing a seatbelt.

Even NSW Roads Minister John Graham admitted he was shocked by the number of fines issued.

“We knew some drivers weren’t complying, but the numbers are worse than expected,” he said in August. “This needs to be a wake-up call.”

Still, many drivers feel they’re being unfairly punished by a system that isn’t always getting it right.