Who should pay?

[CountryVic]

Last month, 4 work colleagues were going in a work car to another office for the week. We were to meet at work for 7.30am and the drive was an hour, and we returned for 5pm. Two people were not able to drive, one has a frozen shoulder, and the other has not got a full licence (trainee) so the driving was left to myself and one other, let’s call her Sonia.
I drove every morning, and Sonia drove 4 of the 5 afternoons, all good. Until a speeding ticket arrived at work. My boss sent an email to all 4 staff advising as per policy that we signed when taking the car, this needs to be paid by the driver, so can we please confirm who was driving on Thursday afternoon at 4.36pm so they can update the details and have the ticket sent in the correct name and with licence details.
I responded to the email 2 days later when my manager called me to follow up, I had assumed Sonia had responded and taken ownership. I CC everyone in the email and confirmed Sonia was driving, but she replied saying she can't be sure and she thinks it was me! The other 2 staff said they think she drove, but it was a while ago so can’t be sure, so the manager had head office send the full ticket so he can see who the driver is. Of course it shows Sonia, we look nothing alike, but she still says she does not think she should be held fully responsible.
The ticket is $260 and Sonia is suggesting that we split it 4 ways paying $65 each and as we all benefitted from driving together. The other staff member with the frozen shoulder agrees that this is fairest, I disagree and have said no, I won’t be paying this.
On Friday morning I got an email saying this needs to be resolved on Monday, if we can not agree then we have to to attend a meeting with the manager and someone from corporate services as they oversee the work car bookings.
The manager has said it’s up to us how to handle it, reminded us we’re all one team, here for one another but I have said there is nothing to handle, the photograph shows Sonia driving, she should pay the fine, it’s a legal document and nothing to do with work at all. I am happy to go to the meeting and advise this.
The other staff member has put $65 in an envelope for the manager, the trainee has said she’s not got any spare cash until payday and could she pay it over a few pays, I have said there is no expectation for anyone by but Sonia to pay as she was the one with her foot on the accelerator!
Am I wrong here?

How fast was she driving for a fine that big?

Technically she should pay

Morally? Probably too

For the sake of team dynamics, split

It's a very tricky one as you all benefited from sharing driving, but it was for work. I think I would contribute for goodwill sake, but explain to work that in future I will not ride share due to the risk of additional personal costs.

Nope I totally agree with you. Doesn’t matter who was in the car, the only person responsible for speeding is the one driving. It’s their ticket to pay 100%.

This is entirely on Sonia.
The only one benefitting from car pooling here is the company as there is only one fuel charge. If you all now pay, you end up directly out of pocket for this. She was the one speeding, she takes responsibility.

I don’t drive but I think that it’s the driver’s judgement how fast to drive and where so Sonia should pay!

This is ridiculous. If she ran someone over whilst driving, would you all take part of her prison sentence for her?

Sonia, of course.

Your manager is incompetent.

Ages ago a small part of my work role was dealing with speeding fines/car parking for company cars.

We expected the driver to pay for it. And tbh there was never an issue - they'd all pay it, take points, driving course etc..

But in this instance, if I got on with my team I might make a contribution for harmonies sake if I liked Sonia and she was usually a decent sort.

I’m assuming since the amount is in dollars you’re not in the U.K. But if you were then the person driving would have points to take on their licence as well as the fine. The points cannot be shared. You also may have to undertake a speed awareness course. Your insurance payments would increase for a number of years due to the points. On this basis only the person driving should take responsibility for the fine. No one else should have to pay

Whoever has their foot on the gas is responsible for any fines.

Your manager sounds weak. It's not up to you to sort out.

I wouldn't be getting in a car with her again if she can't own her shit though. Can't stand that in people.

Yes it should be Sonia but I’d pay for goodwill in the team. As it seems the other two are, so only you saying no, bound to cause a lot of bad feeling.

Your management sounds shit! Of course it's Sonia's responsibility, she's the one who was speeding and expecting you to split the ticket is ridiculous, I suspect she would absolutely not be offering if the roles were reversed.

Yes, you all benefitted from the driving being split, however she chose to speed and also tried to blame you. It's her ticket. Legally nobody can force a passenger to pay the driver's speeding ticket.

Did you and Sonia have any choice about being the designated drivers? Was it just assumed you would be happy to do it?

You're quoting the fine in dollars so I assume you're not in the UK - will Sonia get points on her licence where you are?

Assuming no one was in the back seat telling Sonia to put her foot down, this is really on her, but it's easy enough to speed by mistake rather than by design. If I were Sonia I'd suck it up but next time, I wouldn't agree to be the driver in these circumstances.

As a passenger, I wouldn't be happy about paying for something over which I had no control, but if I was good friends with Sonia or if I was aware Sonia hadn't much money, I would probably offer her 1/4 of the fine from pure goodwill.

Sonja should pay - it’s clear she was driving (camera footage) and it’s absolutely her responsibility to drive at the legal speed limit.

I can’t believe she wants to split the fine (does she expect that you all contribute to get increased insurance premium because of the ticket as well).

My employer is very clear on this - if you are driving, it’s your responsibility.

I’m in Australia so that fines pretty normal here, I think she was going 12km over, country roads, no real reason, just not watching her speed. We didn’t talk much in the car so no real distractions, I tend to use cruise control so I can’t go over 100km.

We drive the work cars all the time, every 6 months you have to complete an online training package with all the details when taking a car, such as housing it over night, checking tyres, keeping the fuel up…the speeding ticket is definitely mentioned in there so it shouldn’t be a surprise to her.

As a passenger I would probably agree to split as I'd appreciate she was only driving as I couldn't. But as you shared the driving and she tried to blame you, no way would I offer to split. And I'd be pointing out that you shared the driving and did the team a favour and managed to not incur a ticket.

Sonia drove, Sonia pays.

YANBU, she was the one controlling the speed. Surely your work have a policy on this?

Anything other than the driver paying places a responsibility for speed on the passengers - are they supposed to be staring at the speedo and telling the driver every time they drift over?!

Only the driver can control the speed so only the driver pays.

I would put in writing that you feel very uncomfortable being held responsible by management to pay a fine in which you played no part.
Sonia has attempted to lie and besmirch you.
I wouldn't bd paying, she was driving and I would be very pissed off at your managers attempts to coerce you into taking responsibility for something that has nothing to do with you.
Sonia and management are major CF's.

For the sake of team dynamics, split

It’s not good for the team dynamics for a trainee on a lower wage than everyone else to be expected to pay the same when they had nothing to do with it though. I’d want to stick up for the trainee as much as the principle of the thing, and for that reason I think the person that paid already is a bit shit.

Would I fuck pay that, she's the one who was driving illegally, what's the repercussions for that from work? Surely there must be something in the contract signed about not speeding etc. Didn't see her offering to split when she was trying to say it was you either!

I feel like a parking ticket gained because she misread a sign, or your course/work overran, I would offer to share. But breaking the speed limit/law? Nah, that's on her and I'm amazed she'd ask.

I don't understand why on earth posters are suggesting that the rest of the team pay a contribution!
Sonia was driving. She is responsible. No one else is.
And yes, your manager is incompetent.

Part of the conditions of employment is that everyone can drive, it’s just 1 other has an injury, and the trainee can only take 1 passenger as per her licence.

As Sonia was the driver, she will need to take the demerit points, that’s not in dispute, it’s just the fine. I’ve already told my husband if I have to pay for the harmony of our team I’ll also be paying for the trainee, it’s not fair she should be asked too.

I’m just miffed she tried to say it was me, I drove the Monday night as she said she had a headache. We’re all good drivers, I don’t think she was speeding intentionally but I was sitting in the back marking some test papers so not really watching.