‘It’s clearly the windscreen wiper’: Ex-lawyer fights seatbelt fine

Exclusive: Angry NSW motorists are fighting a flood of AI seatbelt fines, claiming blurry and indecipherable camera photos fail to prove any wrongdoing. 

John, a former lawyer who asked for his surname to be withheld, claims his adult daughter was wrongly fined for wearing her seatbelt incorrectly while she was visiting Australia on a recent trip from England.

It was a rainy weekend in June when his daughter was driving from Sydney to the Central Coast for a family birthday party.

She was snapped behind the wheel on the Pacific Motorway at Calga for the alleged offence, which comes with a $423 fine and three demerit points.  

John told nine.com.au the photos provided by Revenue NSW as the basis for the alleged offence were insupportable.

“It was torrential rain, and you can't even see a damn thing,” he said.

Do you have a story? Contact reporter Emily McPherson at EMcPherson@nine.com.au

The black seatbelt was washed out to white in the photo and appeared to be partially concealed among the folds of his daughter’s clothes, he said.

Adding to the confusion, John believes a black windscreen wiper may have been mistaken for a seatbelt worn incorrectly.

“My daughter was given the fine, but it's clearly the windscreen wiper in a heavy downpour,” he said.

“The photos are just disgusting. To create an offence based on those photos, it's just incomprehensible. 

“If it went to court, there would be no offence proved. There is nothing there that you can see either one way or the other.”

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John said his daughter was adamant that she was wearing her seatbelt at the time

“She said the car would have been screaming at her if she hadn't put a seatbelt on,” he said, in reference to the car’s seatbelt alarm.

After submitting an initial dispute to Revenue NSW, John was informed his appeal had been rejected. 

The response was accompanied by standard advice detailing how to wear a seatbelt properly - a move John described as insult to injury.

"They sent an AI letter telling me how to wear a seatbelt correctly," he said.

"It just annoys me so much."

He has since requested a secondary review of the penalty notice. 

Although John’s background in law means he is comfortable taking the matter to court, he said drivers shouldn't have to navigate bureaucratic hurdles over inconclusive evidence.

“I'll go along and tell the magistrate what I think of the system,” John said.

“I'm not scared of that at all. But I just don't want to go through the inconvenience.”

Under the state's enforcement model, mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras rely on artificial intelligence algorithms to scan passing vehicles and flag potential infringements. 

Images deemed to show a violation are then forwarded for human verification.

According to Revenue NSW, every image flagged by the automated software undergoes a manual check by trained human operators before a fine is issued. 

The government maintains this two-step process ensures accuracy and prevents unjust penalties from being mailed to vehicle owners.

However, critics and affected motorists argue that inconclusive photos are still slipping past human reviewers, forcing drivers to prove their innocence against an automated system.

The growing pushback comes amid an explosive rise in seatbelt penalties across the state. 

So far this year, Revenue NSW has issued 71,916 penalty notices for seatbelt offences – generating $59.8 million in revenue.

NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said the state’s seatbelt detection camera program was about saving lives, not revenue raising.

“Between 2021 and 2025, preliminary data shows 162 people died on NSW roads while not wearing an available seatbelt, including 29 lives lost in 2025 alone,” Aitchison said.

A spokesperson for Revenue NSW said: “Images identified by the detection system as potentially showing a driver or passenger not wearing a seatbelt properly are reviewed by an authorised individual at Transport for NSW and Revenue NSW for adjudication.

“Individuals who believe a fine has been issued incorrectly, or who would like additional circumstances considered, are encouraged to request a review through Revenue NSW.”

However, John’s fight mirrors that of other motorists who have publicly slammed the quality of camera evidence provided by the government agency.

Earlier this month, Sydney driver Renee and her partner Dean spoke out after receiving a $423 fine from an automated camera snap. 

Renee argued the photo provided by Revenue NSW failed to include a critical detail, her shoulder, where she claims the seatbelt was resting.