Many people believe that nothing can be done about speeding fines and other traffic tickets, even when they’re certain that they weren’t breaking the law at the time they got the fine. This isn’t true – there are plenty of ways a traffic lawyer can help you.

Our experienced traffic lawyers handle matters including but not limited to:

Speeding fines

suspensions 

License cancellation 

Demerit points disputes 

Drink driving and DUI offences

Drug driving

Red light fines

Traffic camera violations

Heavy vehicle offences

Street driving offences and hooning charges

Motorcycle traffic fines

Seatbelt offences

Reckless driving

Failing to stop and assist

Car accidents where you might be at fault.

How to beat a speeding fine?

When you get a speeding fine, you need to consider the cost (money and time) and weigh it up against the benefits of getting out of the speeding fine. 

If it’s your first offence in a long time and it’s a minor offence, try writing a letter explaining that it was a mistake and ask if they’ll show leniency. 

But if you’ve received a few fines, you might want to fight a speeding fine so that you don’t lose your license. 

Check how many demerit points you have here.

Demerit point limits

The limit depends on the type of license you hold. Here are the most common license limits: 

• Unrestricted licence: 13 points
• Professional drivers, including truckers, taxi drivers, and bus drivers: 14 points
• Provisional P2 licence: 7 points
• Provisional P1 licence: 4 points
• Learner licence: 4 points

If you get more demerit points than you’re allowed to, you might lose your license, be ineligible to renew your license, need to stay on a provisional license for longer, or worse.  

Our traffic lawyers can tell you whether you might have a case to argue against your speeding fine.

Book a FREE CONSULTATION to find out more.

What about beating a parking fine? 

It’s often not worth engaging a lawyer to deal with a parking fine. Since they don’t attract demerit points (it’s purely a financial penalty), it’s usually more expensive to get a lawyer than it is to just pay the fine. 

That being said, we’ve heard people are having success using the DoNotPay app. Here’s an article about how it has been used to overturn hundreds of thousands of parking fines overseas 

It’s FREE and available on your app store.

Court Attendance Notices for Traffic Offences

Sometimes, you won’t just be fined on the spot. More serious traffic and road offences will automatically mean that you need to go to court. In these cases, you’ll receive a Court Attendance Notice – not a fine. 

This will happen if you’re charged with: 

Negligent driving occasioning death or grievous bodily harm 

Exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 km/hr over the limit 

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or refusing to undergo a breath test

Driving while your licence is suspended or you are disqualified from driving

If this has happened to you, you’ll want to speak with one of our lawyers to make sure you give yourself the best chance in court. 

What happens if I get caught Drink Driving?

If you are caught driving over the limit, you’ll be charged and given a court appearance notice for a later date. You can plead guilty or not guilty at court – but, if found guilty, you will most likely be fined and you’ll lose your license. You might even go to jail if it’s a more serious offence (and it’s not your first time).

Here’s how the police might determine your blood alcohol concentration: 

Section 10:

You might be able to seek a ‘Section 10’ for punishable traffic offences so your record is not tarnished. If this happens, you won’t pay a fine and you’ll  keep your license. Getting a lawyer is your best chance to get a Section 10 since they only apply in limited circumstances and the court usually needs to be convinced to agree to them. 

If the court does agree, you might get away with a good behaviour bond or intervention programme instead. 

Drink Driving Penalties in Sydney and NSW

Drug Driving in Sydney

Police can now also test for various drugs in your system. Alongside the potential drug charges you might face, you could also receive these penalties: 

Legal Defences to Traffic Offences

Common defences to traffic offences in Sydney include:

• Denial.
• Legal excuse or justification for your actions, such as: 
  • It was an accident 
  • You did all that you could do to avoid committing the offence
  • You mistakenly believed you were not in the wrong 
  • It was an emergency situation.
• The penalty does not reflect the circumstances of your situation. 
• You were not properly notified of the hearing.

An experienced traffic lawyer (just like us at Altria Law) can tell you whether you’ve got a good chance of winning in court. 

Finding the Right Traffic Lawyer in Sydney

The experienced traffic lawyers at Altria Law are here to help you. 

Better still, we’re here to put the NSW legal system on your side. Here’s how we put you back in control:

• We’re available when and where works for you. You can come into our office or chat to us over the phone or online – whatever you prefer.
• We’re open and honest about our pricing. You’ll never pay for services you didn’t want or use. Often, we can even arrange for fixed fees – so, you’ll know from the start how much your legal fees will be. 
• We give you all your options and let you make the right choice for you.

If that sounds good to you, book your FREE consultation with us. We think it’s only fair to give you a free opportunity to ask us everything you need to know to feel secure in your choice. 

If you want more information before you commit to an appointment, click through to our FREE Criminal Law Fact Sheet. It contains everything you need to know about traffic offences in New South Wales.