VICROADS HAS TODAY announced higher fines for motorists caught speeding, with ‘on-the-spot’ fines for driving more than 30km/h over the limit rising from $310 to $380.
To be introduced from November, the new higher penalties follow figures released last month that showed Victorian speeding fine revenue has risen dramatically in the past year.
VicRoads Acting Director for Road User Safety, Antoinetta Cavallo, said today that the new penalties reflect the danger posed by speeding or drink driving. They follow increased penalties introduced in May for not wearing a seatbelt or driving while talking on a mobile phone.
“The increased penalties target extremely dangerous behaviour which are known contributors to fatalities on Victoria’s roads.
“Speeding directly contributes to at least 30 per cent of deaths on Victoria’s roads each year. Penalties will now better reflect the seriousness of high level speeding offences,” Ms Cavallo said.
In addition to the increased fine, motorists travelling 30km/h or more over the speed limit will lose up to eight demerit points.
Drivers caught speeding 45km/h or more over the limit will face court-imposed fines of up to $2336.
Motorists with a blood-alcohol level of 0.10, which causes a five times greater risk of an incident, face immediate licence suspension, a fine of more than $526 and a potential court-imposed fine of $2336.
“These tougher penalties are aimed at drivers who continue to flout the road rules at great risk to themselves and others.
“We know penalties play an important role in discouraging dangerous behaviour on the roads. In addition to increased financial penalties, demerit points for some of the new road rules which will take effect in November 2009 will be introduced,” she said.
The new penalties and increased loss of demerit points forms part of the Government’s road safety strategy arrive alive 2008 – 2017, which aims to reduce the road toll by a further 30 percent.
Last year, Victoria recorded its lowest road toll since records began, with 303 deaths.
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For high speed and high alcohol content, increase fine and penalties forever in my opinion, but for speeding just a little reduce them. Getting fined for accidently travelling 54 in a 50 zone, although I understand the risk for higher speed, seems a bit harch and unfair.
The Bracks and now Brumby Labor govts are all obsessed with revenue. Hooning is at epidemic levels in many suburbs, but catching the thugs that terrorize suburban streets is less lucrative and a lot harder than cathing soft targets using speed cameras in 50 kp/h zones to zap ‘mum and dad’ drivers doing 54 kp/h on their way to work…..pathetic..
This comes at the same time as a report from the VACC declairing 28% of vehicles on our roads to be unsafe. If they’re serious about reducing the road toal they should be doign SOMETHING about that rather than a thinly veiled attempt at making money.
It’s simple. Because so many vehicles are so unsafe, they’re going to keep flogging the speed thing until everyone is crawling around at 10 km/h. Bald tyres, no brakes? So what, you’re travelling at a walking pace anyway! That would definitely reduce the road toll.
Hopefully the revenue goes towards putting more police out on the road - would be a more effective speeding deterrent in my opinion. But I guess that would show Mr and Mrs General Public that gov. were actually getting serious about the road toll, instead of just raising money…
Hmmm
“Speeding directly contributes to at least 30 per cent of deaths on Victoria’s roads each year. Penalties will now better reflect the seriousness of high level speeding offences,” Ms Cavallo said.
Where do these facts come from?
Did they rule out inattention in those cases?
Did they rule out Alcohol in those cases?
Did they rule out ALL other possible causes in those cases?
I doubt it, as it is much easier to say speed was THE cause..
Even the ads on TV show that inattention caused the accidents, but they always say it was due to speed.
Speed in most cases is NOT the cause, but it can contribute to greater damage to both vehicle and people, but the people out there in public land just follow what they are told and believe it all without any proof.
Yes, doing over 10KPH in the suburbs is stupid as there is less time to react with kids etc running into the streets, but on freeways and highways the limits should be raised depending on the conditions of that particluar road.
I remember years ago the AFP had some startling stats.
Of the road toll, 25% of those killed were not wearing seatbelts.
They conveniently included motor bike riders, pedal bike riders, bus/train pasengers and pedestrians in that figure.
Remember that stats can be twisted to suit whatever ideology/spin-doctoring you want to push.
If our wonderful Fuhrer state detects you have a radar detector, they strip away 24 points, even though there are countless studies showing that having a radar detector in your car makes you Safer.
It’s all about revenue raising - everybody knows it. If everyones attitude changed on the roads then we would be far better off.