A woman has spent months fighting a red-light camera fine of $575 and three demerit points after driving through a red light to get out of the way of an ambulance.
Read: Calls for Kenmore Roundabout Upgrades Revived as Traffic Congestion Worsens
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, allegedly drove through a red light on Moggill Road in Kenmore to make way for an ambulance with flashing lights and siren approaching from behind her.
According to the law, Queensland motorists are allowed to drive on the wrong side of the road or drive through a red light to clear the way for emergency vehicles. The woman claims this was what why she went through the red light but her appeal of the fine was denied because there was no photographic evidence from the traffic camera showing the ambulance.
She has had to file a Right to Information request to access records from the Queensland Ambulance Service to prove there was an ambulance at the intersection when she went through the red light.
In an email rejecting her appeal, the woman was told the traffic camera evidence showed her vehicle in the right turning lane on Moggill Road with the arrow red, and that crossing the solid white “stop” line constitutes an offence regardless of whether a turn was made or she proceeded straight.
The case highlights what is believed to be a loophole in the law that does not account for situations where photographic evidence fails to capture an ambulance that is present when a driver runs a red light.
The Queensland Revenue Office estimates it receives up to two such disputed fines per month. When appealed, a red-light camera fine is reviewed for any indication of an emergency vehicle in camera images from before or after the offence.
Read: Transurban Toll Hike Sparks Outcry
The Brisbane woman has opted not to take her fight to court, which could involve an expensive and lengthy legal process. Still, she argued she ran the red light solely to help clear a path for the ambulance behind her.
Published 13-July-2023
