Fined for disobeying a no right turn

[woolf168]

Hello,
Yesterday i was issued an infringement for disobeying a no right turn sign. The fact is that i was unfamiliar with the area in Double Bay and could only rely on my GPS. GPS directed me to that street and turn right. I looked around and saw the double line on the road was a broken line so assumed that it permitted a crossing. So happened the police car just happened to go by and slowed down and waited for me to make the turn. He never indicated to me not to make a turn at all. Finally, after the road was clear of traffic, he slowed down for me to pass and pulled me over.
He approached me never told me what he stopped me for until I asked and then went to the front of the car and then to me again to ask for my license.
I said I followed my GPS and assumed I could turn. His abrupt response was it doenst matter and then he said it wont be lone and walked back to his car. He then came back with my license and infringement notice.
When I went back to the junction I saw a sign but vaguely recalled that when I was crossing that junction, something was probably blocking the sign. (a truck?)
My question is is this worth defending?
That truck would had been long gone and so I cant take any evidence.
Any advice appreciated. Thanks
L

 

[GC.]

When I went back to the junction I saw a sign but vaguely recalled that when I was crossing that junction, something was probably blocking the sign. (a truck?)

So there was a no right turn sign and you turned right. That's basically it! I'm not sure how a truck would block the sign, as the truck would have had to move out of the way before you could turn, making the sign visible again (these signs are generally placed right on the corner, so they would not be obscured by parked vehicles).

I followed my GPS and assumed I could turn.

I'm not sure why you would assume you could turn right when there was a no right turn sign there. You would have passed a test on the traffic laws to get your license, and it is up to you to obey them. Traffic control signs are put up, removed and changed every day, they take effect immediately and there is no way that a GPS maker could guarantee to be up to date. Even if they could keep up to date, the rules are based around the signs - the GPS's version is irrelevant. The best you could do is to ask the GPS maker to update their maps for that intersection.

Any advice appreciated.

I'm not a lawyer, so can't give legal advice... But personally I would... Pay the fine, and then pay attention to the real world when using a GPS.

 

[Clancy]

Well the GPS issue wont get you out of this fine. Neither will the fact of a truck blocking your view of the sign. I have often observed how easily trucks block my view of school zone signs... only because i was familiar with the area that i knew to slow down.
But there is a small chance the GPS could indicate the sign is not an official sign. I have seen stories on the news of police fining people for signs made up by residents of the street. So you can try writing to the roads authority and ask them to verify if it is an official sign? It may also be a very new sign, you might ask for leniency on that basis - unlikely you will succeed though.