Mother lashes out at police after receiving “ridiculous” fine for driving lesson amid coronavirus restrictions
A mother of a schoolgirl has lashed out at police after receiving a fine of $1,652 after taking her daughter for a driving lesson.
Hunter told Nine News she was learning to drive in wet weather conditions alongside her mother Sharee in Frankston, Victoria on Sunday when they were pulled over by police.
The officer told the pair that 17-year-old Hunter was breaking stage-three coronavirus restriction rules and as a result would be slapped with an eye-watering fine, but Sharee vows she will be contesting the “ridiculous” penalty.
“Common sense did not prevail,” Ms Reynolds told The Herald Sun.
“I didn’t for one moment think we were breaking the rules. We live together, we didn’t leave the car or stop.”
Residents in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT have been banned from leaving their homes except for food and supplies, medical care, exercise and work or education since last Monday.
Sharee says she did not believe taking her daughter for a driving lesson was doing the wrong thing.
“We didn't think for one minute that we would be doing anything wrong,” she explained to 3AW on Monday.
“We weren't in contact with any person, we weren't stopping anywhere, we weren't planning on visiting any destinations, we were just learning to drive in those conditions.
“She (the officer) said we were too far from home and we would cop a fine, and that Hunter would be the person to receive that fine.”
Schoolgirl Hunter admitted she was “really stressing” when police pulled her over.
“I was just shocked, because I obviously hadn't done anything wrong, or so I thought. I was just really stressing,” she said.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Dr Brett Sutton has defended the fine, saying a teenager driving is a non-essential activity.
Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said there was a possibility the penalty would be reversed.
“It's quite possible it will be withdrawn because the public is now aware they can't be doing that activity, unless of course it's mixed in with driving to the shops where you are exempt to go and buy food, those sort of things” he said.
Mr Patton said there would be an assessment of all circumstances before a decision to withdraw the fine or not could be made.