Yahoo Finance Aussie driving penalties among the world’s most expensive
If you’ve ever landed yourself a speeding fine and had a bit of a groan about how expensive it was, it’s not without good reason.
Did you know Australia is among the ten countries with the most expensive average driving fines and penalties in the world?
Speeding fines: Australia vs overseas
For speeding, Australia commands the sixth largest penalty, for 21km over the limit, at $417.50, according to a recent GoCompare report.
Broken down by state, South Australians fork out the most, with an average speeding fine of $771.
NSW fines are next ($472), followed by Queensland ($435), Western Australia ($400) and Victoria ($332). Tasmanians come in lucky last with a $163 fine.
You wouldn’t want to be caught speeding in the most expensive country to do so, Norway, where the average penalty climbs to more than a thousand bucks at an equivalent of $1,052.
Of the 31 OECD member countries the research considers, drivers in Poland pay the least for speeding an equivalent of $38.
Mobile phone fines: Australia vs overseas
We’re also sixth place when it comes to being caught on your mobile phone while driving, with the average Aussie penalty at $364.
Victorians are stung the hardest for this with a fine of $484, followed by Western Australians ($400) and Queenslanders ($391).
Drivers from New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania cough up $337, $334 and $326 respectively.
Overseas, Canadians fork out the most for the offence of being on your mobile phone while driving at an equivalent of $387, closely followed by Israel ($384), Iceland ($384), the Netherlands ($369), and the United Kingdom ($362).
Latvians get off lightest with a penalty the equivalent of approximately $40.
Red light fines: Australia vs overseas
Caught driving through a red light? Australians pay the world’s tenth-most expensive fines at an average $356.50.
NSW drivers are penalised $448 for this, followed by South Australians ($464).
Queenslanders fork out $391, where Victorians and Western Australians pay $322 and $300 respectively.
Tasmanians cop a lighter $163 fine.
Woe betide Greek or Norwegian citizens who are caught running a red light: the penalty comes to the equivalent of a whopping $1,121 and $1,117 respectively. For Greeks, this is nearly half of their average monthly salary.
Poles bottom the list, paying the equivalent of just $38.
The research is presented by ‘Harsher Penalties, a campaign by GoCompare.
Make your money work with Yahoo Finance’s daily newsletter. Sign up here and stay on top of the latest money, news and tech news.
Read next: These are the best 4 capital city suburbs to auction a home
Read next: The five renovation tips that will make you the most money
