Motorists in Canberra face mounting calls for refunds after a legal error was discovered in the system used to detect seatbelt offences via traffic cameras. ACT government agency Access Canberra found that while its cameras had been legally approved to detect mobile phone use, the paperwork had not been updated to permit fining drivers for seatbelt breaches, an oversight only uncovered two weeks ago after roughly 13,000 fines had already been issued.

Around 6,500 motorists have already paid their $641 fines or had cases resolved, and officials say these will stand, meaning affected drivers keep their three demerit points regardless. Opposition Leader Mark Parton has branded the situation "extremely embarrassing" and said refunds are among the options being considered, while the ACT Legislative Assembly is expected to weigh retrospective legislation to validate the fines. The episode follows similar controversies over AI-driven road cameras in Western Australia, where almost 6,000 of 81,000 fines were found to be wrongly issued, and in Queensland, where an audit flagged inadequate oversight of AI enforcement systems.