A DRIVER was left stunned when she was hit with a £500 driving fine for doing something she thinks is perfectly legal.
Lillian Morrow, 19, was slapped with a fine after a security camera accused her of being on the phone while driving.
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But Lilian says the roadside camera, which uses artificial intelligence to identify rule-breakers, is wrong and claims she was vaping.
The 19-year-old was driving on the M1 Pacific Motorway at Coomera on the Gold Coast, Australia when the camera snapped a picture of her which was later used as proof she was using her phone.
But Lilian insists she was not using her phone while driving, news.com.au reports.
Posting on social media she claimed the picture showed her vaping.
She said: “Quite clearly holding my trusty vape and my phone is on the passenger seat.”
The image does not clear things up as it shows a driver with one hand on the wheel and the other one close to the face, suggesting it could be holding a phone or a vape.
Her post was met with mixed responses as some agreed that the image was not concrete proof she was on the phone while others doubted that she was holding a vape.
It appears that Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) were not convinced either and dismissed the woman’s claim.
The said in a statement to the Courier Mail: “The camera’s images are filtered by artificial intelligence software.
“If a possible offence is detected, the image is reviewed by an authorised TMR officer to determine if an offence has been committed.”
Vaping while driving is legal in Queensland provided the driver is alone in the car.
Meanwhile in the UK, while vaping behind the wheel isn’t illegal, drivers who are distracted by e-cigarette smoke can be prosecuted if the clouds of vapour obscure their vision.
Police can hit motorists with a £100 on-the-spot fine and three penalty points if they believe the clouds of smoke impact their ability to drive safely.
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