'WIPED IN MINUTES': Perth FIFO worker exposes the three questions that made $550 AI camera seatbelt fine vanish in court — and you can do it too

Ashlea, a Perth-based truck driver and FIFO worker who shares her life on social media as The Salty Pinup, told her 82,000 followers this week that she had her $550 fine and four demerit points completely wiped after just three short questions in a Perth courtroom.

The fine had been issued after one of WA's new AI traffic cameras detected her male passenger wearing his seatbelt incorrectly — slipped under his arm.

As the driver, Ashlea was held legally responsible.

"I had to go to court because, you know, the new AI cameras — my passenger had slipped his seatbelt underneath his arm, so because I'm a driver, that means it's allegedly my fault, so I received a $550 fine plus I lost four demerit points, which actually caused me to lose my licence," she said.

"I was like — that's crazy, because you can't be taking your eyes off the road to constantly check if your passengers slip the seatbelt underneath their arm."

What happened next has fellow drivers across Perth furious they didn't fight their own fines.

Ashlea said when she walked into a packed Perth courtroom, a female police officer immediately addressed the entire room.

"Anyone who's here because their passenger was wearing a seatbelt, come with me," the officer reportedly said.

The officer then asked her three simple questions:

• "Did you notice your passenger putting on their seatbelt properly before you left?" — Yes.
• "Did you notice them taking their seatbelt off during the journey?" — No.
• "If you saw them, what would you have said?" — Put it back on.

That was it. Case dismissed. Fine wiped.

"So if you are in that position, do not pay it, because it's actually crazy that you are liable for that, and it's such a huge fine," Ashlea told her followers.

Her video unleashed a wave of frustration and regret in the comments section, with multiple followers admitting they had paid identical fines without realising how easy it was to challenge them in court.

"What the f**k — I wish I'd seen this about two weeks ago before I paid this exact fine," one commenter wrote.

Another lamented:

"Omg I wish I went to court! Mine was the same, but double demerits."

Her experience is consistent with broader data emerging from across the State — and the numbers are staggering.

According to figures released following a Road Safety Commission review, around 60 per cent of motorists who formally challenged AI camera seatbelt fines between October 8 and April 17 had their penalties withdrawn.

Of 3,381 review requests lodged, 2,043 infringements were ultimately overturned — wiping more than $1.1 million in fines from WA driver records.

In the same period, the technology issued 53,890 infringements across the State — averaging close to 300 a day — generating more than $29 million in revenue.

Astor Legal's Avinash Singh has warned nationally that AI-based detection systems "frequently misinterpret common items as mobile phones," and that the technology is "far from foolproof."

Disability support worker Elli Figomnari was fined four times — totalling $2200 and 16 demerit points — over seatbelt infractions committed by her neurodivergent client.

She managed to have three of the four fines withdrawn, but the prolonged review process took a serious toll on her mental health and finances.

Online advocacy groups are now openly campaigning against the system. Ross Taylor, who founded one such community, has labelled the rollout a "fiasco," arguing the cameras should be focused on mobile phone use and lap-belt offences — which he claims account for only 10 to 15 per cent of all seatbelt fines.

Despite the mounting criticism, the WA Government has stood firm.

Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby has insisted the system is functioning correctly, saying only around 4 per cent of seatbelt offences have ultimately been revoked.

A Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure spokesperson maintained that motorists remain responsible for ensuring all passengers — including children — are appropriately restrained.