UNKNOWN ROAD RULE LEADS TO FINE

A little-known road rule has led to a man has been fined for in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today.

Janith De Silva pleaded guilty to accelerating through a yellow traffic light and was fined $350.

Mr De Silva said he “didn’t know that was a crime”.

In October 2017, Mr De Silva was observed accelerating to make it through a yellow light near Flinders Street in Melbourne’s CBD.

“I didn’t run a red light and I wasn’t speeding,” Mr De Silva said. “I thought I’d get hit if I stopped suddenly.”

The Victorian Road Safety Rules state that a driver approaching a yellow traffic light must stop if they have time to safely do so.

Mr De Silva was also in court for a charge of using a handheld mobile device while driving.

In November last year, police observed Mr De Silva using his mobile phone while his car was stationary in traffic on Hoddle Street in St Kilda.

Mr De Silva said he had removed his phone from its holster when his GPS app froze.

Magistrate Stephen Ballek fined Mr De Silva $400 for the mobile phone offence.

Mr De Silva will also lose four demerit points.