22-Year-Old Fined for Unfamiliar Road Rule
A 22-year-old driver from Sydney, Macrina Stivaktas, was fined more than $400 and received five demerit points after unintentionally breaking a road rule she didn’t know existed. The incident was shared on TikTok, where her video quickly gained attention.
“I just got pulled over by the cops, because they were doing random breath testing,” she said. “He goes, ‘Why is your phone plugged into the navigation?’. I was like, ‘Because I need to get somewhere’. He was like, ‘No, you’re not allowed to have that’.”
According to Stivaktas, she had no idea that connecting her phone for navigation was prohibited under her Provisional P2 licence. The police officer reportedly showed her the official road user handbook confirming the rule’s legality.
Clarification from Legal Experts
“While full licence holders are allowed to use their mobile phone while driving for specific purposes such as navigation, P platers are not,” explained Sydney lawyer Avinash Singh to news.com.au. “Under Rule 300-1 of the Road Rules 2014, P-platers are only allowed to use their mobile phone if the vehicle is stationary and it is being used to make a payment, such as at a drive through fast food outlet.”
Through tears, Stivaktas expressed frustration in her video, calling the fine unfair and pointing out that many drivers commit more dangerous acts unnoticed. The case highlights a common misunderstanding among young Australian drivers about mobile phone laws for provisional licence holders.
Author’s Summary
A Sydney driver’s $400 fine for using her phone while on a P2 licence spotlights widespread confusion about mobile phone rules among young motorists.