The case of 17-year-old Learner driver Hunter Reynolds being charged $1600 for driving with her mum during the lockdown is ridiculous, reprehensible and almost Orwellian. Hunter was driving from Hampton to Frankston, not in contact with anyone, when a Police Officer pulled her and her mother over and issued her with a $1600 fine.
This case sets an authoritarian precedent for all Learners, on the roads and trying to get their hours up while there is nothing else to do. How are learners, confined to cars and with minimal to no contact with other people helping to spread COVID-19 around?
This absolute abuse of power by Police is not only harmful and costly to people, it drives teenagers away from one of the best ways of staying engaged and productive during these trying times. With no opportunity to see their friends or even go outside, many teens see getting their hours up as one of the last aspects of normalcy and stability during a time when their whole world has been turned upside down.
Victorian Government, don't let overzealous Police pointlessly bully young people just trying to get their hours up!
