A speed trap at the end of June in Australia netted 987 tickets in about one hour. That's a 32,930 percent increase over normal. There has been a huge mistake. And now good guy Australia wants to refund everyone.
The issue occurred in a construction zone in front of a tunnel in Victoria on June 30. Electronic speed limit signs were dropped to 40 kmh, which is 60 kmh less than usual. At the end of the construction zone, drivers seemed to think that the speed had increased again.
It hadn't.
In one hour, 987 drivers got tickets that ranged in severity from $289 fines to one year license suspensions and $1660 fines.
Victoria's Road Safety Commissioner Gordon Lewis determined that the speed cameras were working fine (Australia's are notoriously accurate, they had to refund $26 million a few years ago after a Datsun with a top speed of 73 was clocked at 98), but the speed limit changes weren't clear to drivers on the road. Instead of standing by the fines as just, Lewis is calling for all ticketed drivers to be refunded and all points to be taken off licenses if they were issued.
It isn't his determination is the authorities give the refunds, but it seems he's banking on the police to not want a shit storm of negative PR and to instead refund the drivers.
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Insane And Confusing Speed Trap Tickets 987 Drivers In One Hour