[mayukh42]

I have been fined about 4 times in my 140k kms in the last 11 years of driving.

1. Jumping the signal just before airport toll, BLR. A big truck was just before me so I missed the signal turning red at the last moment.

2. Overspeeding somewhere near Mysore on a day when me and my car was at BLR. I challenged the challan received by post, through email to the top office and never heard from them since, neither did that enter the fine database yet (10+ years have passed)

3. Overspeeding by about 10 kmph on a 6 lane NH near Chalakudy, KL, apparently the speed limit was 70. The cops were conveniently located next to a down ramp that you couldn't see from other side of crest . Paid 400 bucks and got a challan receipt that contained my and my father's name initials in Malayalam.

4. Jumping signal at Krupanidhi college BLR, again due to being hidden behind a BMTC. Turned out funny because I did not have any cash with me and they did not have a card machine (pre e-wallet days), so the senior cop let me go after advising me to not repeat again. I agreed and was gone quickly

I was also caught once in Lucknow and Jhansi last year for having the non-HSRP number plate when it was not yet mandatory in KA but was already so in UP. Both were considerate after some explanation; the Jhansi cop's junior was not too willing to let go but his boss turned out to be in deputation in Durgapur, WB for some time, when he learnt I did my XI-XII from there he let me go.

[Precision]

Many years ago,before it came in the news papers that there was a new system of average speed detection cameras on the Palakkad route i made a trip to CBE and back from Cochin. 12k in fines in a single day, very well could have gone in an airplane for that money.

[Draunzer21]

Was driving on some highway (don't know the name) from Delhi towards Jalandhar, speed camera captured speed of 108 kmph while speed limit was 100. A cop in suit stopped us, I said I was not driving above 100, he asked someone on phone and got the picture and showed me the brezza number plate. Paid 2000 rs.


Over speeding on pune solapur highway just before indapur, got a message as soon as they captured me, paid 2000 again. The road is superb so not sure why we can't go above 100 but yeah need to drive safe.

Went over a bridge in pune where 2 wheelers are not allowed, gmaps took me on that route, as usual the traffic police was not there at the start of the bridge to stop 2 wheelers but was on the other end to catch us - 200 paid

Parked in no parking on fc road - didn't know my bike was just outside the white line and they took it away when I was enjoying at good luck cafe. Paid 500.

A memory : was riding my sister's scooty when I had learning licence. Licence was expired, police stopped me and asked for licence, I knew it was expired, I just pretended to check in wallet, by that time the cop tried to catch another 2 guys and went away for a bit, accelerated and just zoomed past him. He tried to stop but in vain.
Not proud of this but was just 16 year old so naive.

[Hariharan09]

Unlike the veterans who'd posted above, I'm quite the newbie when it comes to driving. Have only been driving regularly for just the past two years. Therefore, didn't have too many opportunities to rake up much fine.

I've been fined once near the infamous Sarjapur-HSR-Bellandur crossing signal, for unintentionally jumping the signal. This was ~2 years ago, one month after getting my new car.

Was on my way back towards Bellandur, returning from D-Mart Sarjapur.

For those who don't know, the signal in Sarjapur crossing is placed to the left of the driver, and not in front of them. If you haven't been through that place and you're there for the first time, you might even believe there's no traffic signal there.

It's common source of confusion among drivers, and police would be waiting on the other side to take advantage of this.

I had crossed it while it was yellow, but it had turned red by the time I'd reached the other side.

Was stopped by the traffic police on duty, who had a wide smile and started mentioning "5000 Rs. for jumping signal sir", then proceeded to demand 500 from me.

It was my first encounter with the police, and it should come as no surprise that it was dreadful. I panicked, and pulled out my wallet with trembling hands, to find only a 100 Rs. note inside.

He grabbed that and let me go.

That was the day I ordered a dashcam.

I've never been fined since then, despite having driven ~20k km since then, across 7 different states / UTs (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Goa, Puducherry) of southern India.

Since this thread is about learning from our own mistakes, here is what I follow:

• Before going on a long road trip, I comb through the Team BHP travelogue and route queries, to understand speed limits and possible traffic police presence throughout the trip route. Has helped me a lot on my trip to Hyderabad and Kochi.

• Am much more cautious around traffic signals.
  
  I slow down while approaching a traffic signal, to confirm multiple times that it's not yellow. I'd rather annoy some drivers behind me than deal with the traffic police on the other side.

• While driving, I keep all my cash in the sunglass holder of the car. Makes it easy for me to say that I've no cash on me. Police cannot take bribe from me, if I've very little to no cash in my wallet.
  
  I'm yet to have the misfortune to test this theory, but I have a feeling it might just work.

• Always keep a copy of third party insurance and PUC certificate, in my glove box and on phone (can be accessed offline, no network connection is needed).

• I frequently check for possible traffic fines. Not to jinx, but yet to have anything officially visible in mParivahan or CRED or the karnataka challan portal.
  
  Learned from this forum that some states like Kerala send fines via physical letter to home address, but it's been close to a year since I've been there and yet to get anything in letterbox.

[Skodaslavs]

Recently there was a speed camera installed on the daily route I take to reach office from home.
I got 4 tickets for driving at 60, 63, 66, 62 km/h respectively.
The desolate wide stretch of road has a speed limit of 50km/hr.

The cops issued the challan after a week and this led to multiple offences. Although I am not sure if this was really a offence as considering the condition of this road, it should have a speed limit of atleast 60 km/hr for cars like in all cities.
Kolkata Police at its best.

[antz.bin]

2006 Wrong parking: College days. Parked the bike in 4W parking at MG Road Pune.

2023 Jumping a red light: Frustrated with traffic on Pune Nashik highway, I crossed after the Moshi chowk after the light turned amber and it turned red by the time I crossed the other side. Snapped by the traffic camera.

Some rules I abide by that help me stay on the right side of the law as far as speed cameras are concerned:

1. A steady pace within the speed limit leads to a peaceful time on the highway and reduced stops. Better fuel economy is the cherry on top.
2. Reduced stops lead to lower door-to-door timings compared to driving faster and stopping more.
3. Cops and cameras exist at the end of downhill sections. Its better to drive slower than the rest of the traffic here. Uphill sections are chill, use your horsepower here instead.
4. There is an error margin that each car/bike speedo has. You should know it for the vehicles you drive, use GMaps to confirm the error on yours. Usually if you are doing 107 on the speedo in a zone with a speed limit of 100, you will *not* get fined because the speedo itself has that much +ve error built in.
5. Cops, 2-wheeler riders and truckers usually take breaks in hottest times of a summer day (12-3PM). Utilize your aircon and horsepower at this time to make swift progress in places where interceptor vehicles are used instead of speed-cams. But still keep #3 in mind.

[Auto_guy_101]

Here go my list of fine:

2016-18: 2 speeding tickets in the Thrissur bypass area, Kerala. These were between the toll and Mannuthy signal for about 96 and 104, with the limit being 90.

2024: 500 for taking a u-turn at a signal with no u-turn sign in Chennai near Tiruvanmiyur. Was new to the city and driving a cousins car around. Cops were conveniently waiting on the other side in a side road I had to take. I took the turn thanks to google maps and it seems the cops knew the loophole.

2024: 250 parking fine in Kochi, near Lulu mall, Edapally. I was parked on the footpath in front of a shop thanks to the many Swiggy and zomato vehicles occupying the narrow entrance and cops waiting to meet their fine quote spotted me. It is against my nature to hog a footpath, but I feel I was more a victim of circumstances that day. The sad part was being asked to move the vehicle despite being fined - 2 more minutes and I’d have left anyway. Also, I was in the drivers seat while being fined (not sure if this is legal)