Just recently stopped by a police (random check) while driving and caught that my license has expired (for 7 months), resulting in a $400 fine.
I then checked on LTSA website that I supposed to get some kind of reminder notice telling my driver license is due to expire. I didn't get this reminder, hence not knowing my license is expiring, I be honest, I never check my expiry date (I mean. it lasts for 10 years, out of interest, do you check regularly!).
So I sent a letter for consideration, and was rejected. I was wondering whether I have a strong case to defend in court . Although I know it's driver's responsibility to keep current license, because of failure of LTSA system (or postman) I get the fine.
What do you guys think! Any of you got away from expired license, care to share experience!
cheers
welshdude,
Feb 21, 8:16am
I think $400 is unreasonable. People get lesser fines for deliberate acts of unsafe driving. Good luck.
tootsie9,
Feb 21, 8:17am
Oh bugger just checked mine and OMG mine expired october 2010. I don't check my license but this made me. Dam I better get on to it. I too haven't received a pack. Bloody LTSA trying to rob us I think.
Although I think this license is utter crap because when I payed for my old paper license it was a license that was meant to last me until I was 65 and now this new license sucks $100 odd bucks off me every 10 years as medical certs are needed.
cowgal2,
Feb 21, 8:17am
have you moved and it was posted to old address!
johnf_456,
Feb 21, 8:23am
I say you have moved and not updated your contact details.
bigboystoys,
Feb 21, 8:41am
cowgal & johnf_456: Nope, been living on the same address since I got my license.
jmma,
Feb 21, 8:43am
Its usually on your birthday on the 5 years, isnt it!
bigboystoys,
Feb 21, 9:01am
jmma: not on my birthday, and it lasts 10 years (for light motorvehicle)
cocabowla,
Feb 21, 9:02am
how hard is it to remember your licence expires on the fifth birthday , ie 25th. 35th, 45th, 55th etc
bigboystoys,
Feb 21, 9:06am
cocabowla: mine not every 5 years! it's 10 years, and it doesn't fall on my birthday.
im_andrew,
Feb 21, 9:08am
Every other practical qualification you recieve in life must be renewed at a certain point, why should a license be any different
im_andrew,
Feb 21, 9:09am
Think about that for a bit.
purple666,
Feb 21, 9:20am
I had mine expire between the time I sat my full car license and the new one came in the mail, never thought to check the dates, figured as it was a new license then it would be for 10years
bigboystoys,
Feb 21, 9:22am
!
I'm not disputing the fact that license need to be renewed, I'm fine with it. What bugs me is that I don't get a reminder (like everyone else) and the fact that the gap is 10 years makes it hard to remember. If it's due every 2-3 years, and falls on my birthday."maybe" I'd remember.
Do you honestly remember the exact date your license will expire! I even have hard time remembering parent's birthday which falls yearly.
Maybe I need to be super organised, and need to setup a reminder in my MS-Outlook calendar 10 years from now :-). Or perhaps, the LTSA process should be improved, not just sending a reminder before expiry, but also post-expiry.
Any police officers here! or know someone who is a police officer :-) , keen to hear their opinions.
tootsie9,
Feb 21, 9:34am
Because it was a lifetime license
radioactive,
Feb 21, 9:35am
oh poor baby.Things change.
im_andrew,
Feb 21, 9:37am
It was paper too.
Things change, for the better in this case.
friendly_prawn,
Feb 21, 9:50am
It's a bloody joke. How can we be expected to remember when our license expires. crazy. But I cant see any way around not paying it. $400 is just way over the the top.
unideck,
Feb 21, 9:56am
Licence is a joke and as far as I am concerned what the so called government did was illegal. They and I entered into a contract years ago, paid my money and in return they issue me with a license to drive until year 2034, greed steps in and they change the rules, typical politicians, cook the lot of em. Still have my original paper licence and in my book it is still a legal document.
tootsie9,
Feb 21, 10:01am
I agree. total greed. im_andrew probably doesn't have a license so it doesn't bother him.
townie55,
Feb 21, 10:05am
I would like to think that instead of giving you a fine, they give you 2 weeks to renew your licence instead of a $400 fine.The fine only pisses people off.That said, I recommend you don't chase the matter through the courts as it is my belief that your defence citing a lack of notification would not be convincing enough to have the matter dropped.Needless to say you would then be paying legal fees, a fine, and maybe also court costs.
im_andrew,
Feb 21, 10:05am
The government does this all the time. Remember when labour ammended that law to justify their election spending! Same thing, really. Atleast in the case of the licenses, the law change was an improvement over the previous system - rather than a move to cover their own fuckup.
IMO, ten year renewal of drivers licenses helps keep half blind or otherwise impared people off the roads. I would love to see it made a full re-test every ten years (or less). Would certainly improve the standards of drivers in this country.
im_andrew,
Feb 21, 10:06am
I have a class 2L at the moment, actually.
tootsie9,
Feb 21, 10:11am
Hope you feel special with that.
directorylist,
Feb 21, 10:13am
Licenses expire on the date it was issued on the same year you turn 25/35/45/55
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