Traffic Law

As a driver, it is important to understand what charges can result from a traffic accident in NSW. There are strict requirements that you must follow when you are involved in a traffic accident on public roads. These rules include exchanging details with the other motorists involved, assisting any injured people, and cooperating with police.…

Serious traffic offences in New South Wales are known as major offences. Both the Crimes Act 1900 and the Road Transport Act 2013 deal with serious traffic offences in NSW.  A major traffic offence is defined under section 4 of the Road Transport Act 2013. Serious Traffic Offences in NSW include: Predatory driving; Police pursuits;…

The Go To Court Lawyers Dandenong team, led by Victorian State Manager Sylvie Maranis, have reduced client debt from over $200,000 to $1,500. Some clients had even risked a one-year jail sentence and had their fines reduced to nothing. One case was a debt of over $100,000 and the infringement was reduced to $0. What…

The Victorian government takes excessive speeding seriously. Under the Road Safety Act 1986 and the Road Safety (Drivers) Regulations 2009, there are automatic and mandatory licence suspension sentences for drivers who excessively speed. It is an offence to drive in excess of the speed limit and driving up to 24 kilometres above the limit will…

Written by Jack Leitner and Chantal McNaught Following the news that Queensland will be making ride-booking services legal from 5 September, Victorian Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan announced that similar reforms in Victoria will be forthcoming. ‘These reforms will be comprehensive and they will give people more choice,’ Ms Allan said. Previously, Queensland, New South…

After releasing its long-awaited review into the personalised transport industry, the Queensland government will make ride-booking (also referred to as ride-sharing) services legal throughout Queensland from 5 September 2016.  These changes will impact ride-sharing drivers (using a ride-booking service such as Uber), taxi and limousine services. This decision comes mere months after the government introduced…

From 1 October 2016 new motorcycle licence laws will be rolled out across Queensland. These new laws will increase the time it takes for those who want to learn to ride a motorcycle in Queensland and for RE learner licence holders to progress to a higher class of licence.  The current passenger restrictions for R…

Another of Australia’s federal politicians has been caught driving while using a mobile phone. Just 2 days out from the election and in her highly visible campaign car, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop was photographed committing the offence as she drove along a congested major road in Perth on Thursday. In Western Australia, you are…

Melbourne woman, Michelle Chaffey, 32, has achieved the dubious distinction of being possibly Australia’s worst driver. Dubbed the ‘demerit queen’ by Channel 9, Chaffey appeared in Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on 14 June 2016 after having accrued 157 driver demerit points and additional charges for having been driving while her licence was suspended. The offences related…

As we head into the long weekend, Easter road safety campaigns for 2016 are now in full swing right across Australia. In New South Wales, Operation Tortoise began at 12:01am this morning and ends at 11:59pm on Monday 28 March. Over this period, double demerit points apply to traffic offences including speeding, using your mobile…

Principles of sentencing the key in traffic law and drugs case Outstanding advocacy on the part of one of Go To Court Lawyers’ expert solicitors has resulted in another successful – and unexpectedly favourable – outcome for his client. Sebastian Jennings, associate solicitor from the Woolloongabba office, was representing a client in a sentencing hearing…

Extraordinary emergency defence successful in traffic law case One of Go To Court Lawyers’ expert solicitors, Ali Rana, has today won a difficult Queensland traffic law case by successfully arguing for an extension to the usual application of a general criminal law defence, extraordinary emergency. Mr Rana’s client had been charged with driving through a…