Phillip Baker, 40, of Church Street, was charged with having failed to wear a seatbelt, having failed to verify entries in a logbook and having driven a heavy vehicle for more than 12 hours.

Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Dave Cosgriff said Baker was involved in a single-vehicle crash on the Nhill-Harrow Road at Gymbowen on April 30, 2007.

When police attended the scene at 12.25pm, they discovered Baker was not wearing a seatbelt.

Sen Const Cosgriff said Baker also failed to sign his logbook on April 9 and failed to rest for six hours between 2.30am on April 12 and 2.30am on April 13.

Baker told the court a police officer who attended the scene told him he `wouldn't be here today' if he had his seatbelt on.

He said he sustained minor cuts and bruises in the crash.

Magistrate Andrew Capell: "And a bit of pride I might think."

•A HORSHAM man was convicted and fined $400 in Horsham Magistrate's Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to having driven while disqualified.

Shannon Hopwood, 28, of Riverside East Road, was pulled over by police at 10am on January 27, 2008 after travelling west along Dimboola Road, Horsham.

Police prosecutor Constable Belinda Ryan said a licence check revealed Hopwood had his probationary licence cancelled for six months after exceeding the prescribed blood-alcohol limit on October 17, 2007.

Defence solicitor Jonathan Rattray said Hopwood regretted drink driving and since the offence had enrolled in a Grampians Community Health Centre alcohol education course.

Mr Rattray said the unlicensed driving was a one-off offence and that after losing his licence, Hopwood usually rode a bicycle his mother bought him.