A huge bungle left hundreds of people with incorrect punishments for drink driving offences due to wrongly entered offence codes going as far back as 2007. Victoria Police revealed the mistake, which left:
- 508 people without cancelled licences, when they should have been cancelled, but who instead only lost 10 demerit points
- 196 drivers lost their licence when they should have only had 10 demerit points applied, as they were aged 26 or over
- 7 of those drivers were still without a licence long after the offence, when they should never have been disqualified in the first place
New legislation introduced in 2007 meant that drivers with blood alcohol levels of between 0.05 and 0.07 were penalised based on age. Any driver aged 26 and over with a full licence and no prior drink driving offences should get a $443 fine and 10 demerit points, with no immediate licence cancellation. Drivers aged less than 26 but with a full licence would have their licence cancelled and be disqualified from driving for six months.
The bungle occurred when some police officers put the wrong offence code on a form. The police only became aware of the mistake in 2015 when a driver applied for a review of their infringement notice. A full audit of all infringements was undertaken going back to 2007.
Compensation may have been due to some people who lost their jobs due to the mistake, or collect losses for costs in getting their licence reinstated, court, and drink driving courses.
Moral of the story? Police make mistakes more often than you’d think
If you are involved in a drink driving case, we can help. Contact Vanessa Ash & Associates today to see if there is a way to keep your licence and avoid fines.