Retired public servant Rhonda Peterson thought July would bring only joy when her grandniece flew from Adelaide on her first solo trip to spend time with her in the nation's capital.
The pair toured the ACT and the NSW region in Mrs Peterson's blue Mazda CX-5, but trouble arrived in the mail on July 25, 2026 at her Kambah residence in the form of twin $615 infringement notices and six demerit points for passenger seatbelt violations.
The first penalty was snapped on Gungahlin Drive on July 7, capturing the moment the 14-year-old allegedly pulled a jumper over herself while wearing her seatbelt.
"If there was a genuine mistake, I'm ready to pay the fine," Mrs Peterson said.
However, the retired grandmother was outraged when she opened the second notice, recorded on Drakeford Drive on July 9 as the pair returned from Bredbo.
"She got car sick near Isabella Plains," Mrs Peterson said. "She moved in her seat trying to vomit, and there was no way to safely stop the car right there."
Mrs Peterson lodged a dispute with the Infringement Review Office of Access Canberra, explaining the medical emergency behind the Drakeford Drive incident.
An officer rejected the appeal by email, stating the "seatbelt is not secured diagonally across the chest" and confirming the infringement would not be withdrawn.
"It is outrageous that there is no way to explain the situation. They don't care what the circumstances were," an enraged Mrs Peterson said, adding she endured a two-hour wait on the phone. "It is just revenue raising."
To her shock, Access Canberra then advanced her payment deadline from August 24 to August 5, while issuing a formal warning that an unsuccessful court appeal could result in a criminal conviction.
Facing severe medical conditions and unable to afford the lump sum, the Canberra driver who has maintained a clean record with no traffic or parking infringements for over 20 years, was forced onto a $50-a-fortnight payment plan.
"The letter with 'criminal conviction' in bold is bullying," Mrs Peterson said after paying her first instalment. "It's appalling."
An ACT government spokesperson stated there is no legal basis or policy allowing Access Canberra to bring forward an infringement due date.
"Anyone who believes this has happened should reply to the email they received or call Access Canberra," the spokesperson said.
Following media inquiries, Access Canberra contacted Mrs Peterson on Friday to admit her payment deadline had been "incorrectly shortened" and confirmed the infringements could be removed from the repayment plan.
However, the government spokesperson said that a clean driving history does not guarantee an infringement will be cancelled.
"Requests for an infringement to be withdrawn are assessed against the Road Transport (General) Withdrawal of Infringement Notices Guidelines 2019," the spokesperson said. "The guidelines specify offences generally considered unsuitable for withdrawal, including seatbelt offences where no official medical exemption exists."
