A Chinese man who was following GPS directions when travelling down the Hume Freeway in the wrong lane for about 10 minutes has been given a hefty fine. The accused appeared virtually at the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court with a Mandarin interpreter to plead guilty to careless driving. The court heard about 10:30pm on 3 April this year a motorist travelling in the left-hand lane of the northbound Hume Freeway at Boralma saw an incoming white Toyota sedan going the other direction. They flashed their lights at the sedan and called police. Near Wangaratta a second motorist drove past the accused, flashing their lights and notifying police. Officers saw the sedan on the Hume Freeway which was travelling about 90km/h when they intercepted it. Defence counsel Hui Chi said her client wasn’t paying attention to the traffic signs and was relying on a Mandarin speaking GPS for directions, knowing limited English. Talking to police after being intercepted, the accused said he thought the flashing lights from incoming traffic were a signal to turn down his lights. Magistrate Amina Bhai said she was concerned about how long the accused drove in the wrong lane and considered it a serious example of careless driving. “The potential for serious consequences is obviously increased as the speed increases,” she said. She fined the accused $1200 without conviction or licence penalties.
