Traffic Offences Queensland
Brisbane, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Queensland
Traffic infringement notices can have a significant impact on your life. It can be issued for more than just speeding fines, but it does usually involve road safety offences which occur on a Queensland road. A traffic infringement notice is issued to the driver for offences of speeding, failing to stop at a red light or sign, use of a mobile phone whilst driving or not wearing a seatbelt. These offences can cause financial distress due to the imposition of a fine or the loss of licence due to demerit points accrual.
Our team are able to assist you with these matters across the entire State of Queensland. We have traffic lawyers based in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Toowoomba. This enables us to be able to service a wider area from these bases. Toowoomba allows us to extend across the Darling Downs and across South West Queensland. Brisbane allows us to have a Capital City base, and we can travel to far north Queensland, Central Queensland or surrounding Brisbane suburbs.
Offences and impacts
Traffic offences include drug driving, drink driving (DUI), dangerous driving, and driving disqualified or driving unlicensed.
The penalties imposed for traffic offences are not insignificant. Penalties include the incursion of demerit points, imposition of a fine, community service, probation orders, or even periods of actual jail in serious circumstances or where repeat offending occurs.
One of the longer term impacts is that many offences carry a mandatory period of licence disqualification. This means that certain offences require you to be prohibited from driving for a minimum period, regardless of any special circumstances that apply to your specific scenario.
Another long term impact can be the accrual of demerit points for certain types of traffic offences. For instance, if you are driving:-
1 - 11km h over the designated speed limit - 1 demerit point is accrued;
11lm h - 20km h over the designated speed limit - 3 demerit points are accrued;
20km h - 30km h over the designated speed limit - 4 demerit points are accrued;
30km h - 40km h over the designated speed limit - 6 demerit points are accrued;
More than 40 km h over the designated speed limit - 8 demerit points are accrued.
Therefore, it is important that you speak with a knowledgeable traffic lawyer.
Don't get the wrong result because you engaged the wrong lawyer.
Solutions
First and foremost, our experienced solicitors will complete a full case assessment of your matter. This includes obtaining all the necessary details and records to allow us to provide you with advice regarding the likelihood of success should you wish to contest the charge and wish to take the matter to trial.
Trial involves requiring the Prosecutions to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of the offence which you are charged with. The Prosecuting authority may use evidence from any cameras, police officers, other witnesses or anything else to support their case against you.
Alternatively, our team can assist you with any sentence in the Magistrates Court. This involves you indicating that you plead guilty to the offence and receiving a penalty. Our solicitors are experienced at preparing for and appearing in matters where serious consequences are on the line. Whilst some matters do have mandatory minimum penalties, your solicitor will advocate for the minimum only and seek to achieve the best possible result for you.
We will take you through any criminal or traffic history which you may have and ensure that the relevant Court is aware of the circumstances leading to previous offending and how these offences may be similar or different to the current situation.
Our team are able to assist you to apply for a special hardship or work licence if the traffic offence will result in you accumulating too many demerit points or for you to be disqualified from holding a driver licence for a period.
Contact our knowledgeable team to day to find out if you are eligible for one of these solutions.
Eligibility for a Work or Special Hardship Driver Licence
We can work with you to complete a full case assessment and identify if you are eligible to apply for such a licence.
As a snapshot, to be eligible for a restricted work licence:-
- You must hold a current Queensland open licence;
- Your licence has not been suspended, cancelled or disqualified in the last 5 years;
- You must not have been convicted of dangerous driving, drink driving or similar offence in the last 5 years;
- Your blood alcohol reading was below 0.15% or you were convicted of driving with a relevant drug present in your system but not for being under the influence of drugs;
- Not have been driving on a licence which required your blood alcohol level to be zero;
- Not have been driving for work or any activity directly connected with your work or on a work licence already at the time of your charge.
As a snapshot, to be eligible for a special hardship driver licence unless, within the last 5 years:
- Your licence was suspended (including if you were granted a special hardship order); and/or
- You were disqualified from driving; and/or
- Your authority to drive in Qld on a non-Qld licence was cancelled; and/or
- You were convicted of dangerous driving; and/or
- You were made ineligible to apply for a licence as because of committing driving offences while unlicensed.
Our Traffic Law Team
