Speeding penalty's in Victoria increase coming (again)

[zipping]

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other...her/ar-BBPeFQ8

The State Government of Victoria has announced an increase in penalties for speeding, with excessive (or ‘high range’) speeding in the firing line.

The changes, which are now in effect, mean anyone who is caught exceeding the speed limit “by 25km/h or more but less than 35km/h” has their licence taken away for three months. Previously, the punishment called for a one-month suspension.

Anyone travelling at “20km/h or more but less than 25km/h” in a 110 km/h zone also cops a three-month suspension.

At and above 35km/h over the speed limit, drivers lose their licence for six months, while drivers at or above 45km/h over the speed limit will have to go a year without their licence.

VicRoads adds that demerit points are no longer accrued for excessive (more than 25km/h over the limit) speed offences. Drivers still get three points for exceeding the speed limit by 10km/h or more but less than 25km/h, and one for doing so by less than 10km/h.

Against other driving rules, the new penalties for speeding appear enormous. Use of a mobile phone while driving is worth a comparatively minuscule 4 demerit points and a $484 fine.

Also changing are penalties for unlicensed and disqualified driving laws. Anyone caught driving unlicensed now faces a maximum $9500 fine or six months jail, previously a $3950 fine or three months jail.

Driving disqualified is now worth a massive maximum $38,000 fine or two years jail. Previously the maximum was a $4700 fine or four months jail for a first offence.

Speed camera warnings 'limits the opportunity to moderate driver behaviour'

VicRoads director of road access Roger Chao says taking licences away for longer has been shown to be more effective than other forms of punishment.

“The study examined how speeding drivers responded to various penalties including licence suspensions, demerit points, good behaviour bonds and vehicle impoundments,” Chao says.

“There was strong evidence that licence suspension for higher level speeding offences lower the likelihood of repeat offences and these drivers being involved in a casualty crash.”

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) praised the move, saying it believes harsher enforcement and getting ‘motorists to slow down’ will lead to fewer crashes.

"The fact that speed continues to play a part in about one third of Victorian deaths and injuries shows there is still work to be done to get motorists to slow down,” says TAC director of road safety Samantha Cockfield.

"Tougher penalties, alongside enforcement and education, is proven to be the best approach to tackling speeding on Victorian roads."

[b0son]

But 80%+ of crashes occur below the limit, and can still be recorded with speed as a contributing factor, so how will more enforcement address the drivers that crash below the speed limit?

[Wretched]

lazy policy

[Itsme]

Not surprised with increase, the government of the day needs extra money to pay for all the election promises!

[GO FURTHER]

Living in Victoria, I'm so glad I installed an Australian made GPS accurate digital speedo to the Stang.... Otherwise, I would have lost my licence by now.

[zipping]

Think I might need 1 of those

[Tassie f100]

Yeah I think the jury is still out regarding the correlation of speeding vs crashes,but I,m fully in favour of phone use fines. I reckon there should be 2 different penalties for phone use.1 for talking which doesn,t have to be as high, But a much higher (3 months suspension and maybe $1000) fine for first offence texting then multiply the penalty for subsquent offences.

[arronm]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

Living in Victoria, I'm so glad I installed an Australian made GPS accurate digital speedo to the Stang.... Otherwise, I would have lost my licence by now.

image

Doesn't really help if it doesn't show the posted speed limit...

[Rallye Sport]

I understand a high percentage of accidents occur at low speed, but how many of these are there little to zero human harm? and how many are single vehicle incidents when old make stacks the letterbox in the morning? one for the mathematicians I guess.

As speed goes up so the risk rises dramatically, for not only the driver but for other innocent motorists. If thats not a reason to enforce the limits I don't know what is.

People don't respect that though so another means would be higher penalties like loss of licence. Thats the angle they're trying so good luck to them, maybe its up to us to channel our criticisms and put forward an alternative... either that or just stop speeding.

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by arronm

Doesn't really help if it doesn't show the posted speed limit...

I have the posted speed limit shown on my navigation GPS so I'm covered.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

I have the posted speed limit shown on my navigation GPS so I'm covered.

That is only a rough guide. I found in NSW a couple of years ago,seems either councils or roads people move signs,but don,t notify the Gps mapping co.Sometimes the gps elert could be 2-300 metres before or after the speed sign

[arronm]

38K or 2 years in jail for driving disqualified. Law makers in Vic need to stay off the ICE....

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by arronm

38K or 2 years in jail for driving disqualified. Law makers in Vic need to stay off the ICE....

As far as penalties for disqualified driving are concerned,the penalty is irrelevent,disqualified drivers don,t care. How many times do we see reports of drivers who have been caught multiple times, but they just keep on driving and taking the slim chance of getting caught out again.

[vixf6]

Originally Posted by arronm

38K or 2 years in jail for driving disqualified. Law makers in Vic need to stay off the ICE....

Get less for murder in VIC

[Franco Cozzo]

My next car is getting fitted with ALPriority laser jammer and a radar detector

https://www.radarlaser.com.au/Antila...ty-3sensor.htm

In the mean time I'll stick to doing 128km/h on the Calder Freeway instead of 130km/h

Its not that hard - they keep putting mobile speed cameras in the same few spots on our roads, police sit in certain spots, once you're familiar with where they regularly rotate between for the cameras and the odd car you're sweet.

My GPS also gives me all the fixed camera locations when I'm driving around Melbourne.

I've never once been fined and yet I speed everywhere.

[Blue Roo]

Road Safety is nothing more than a Revenue Cash Cow for the State Government Coffers.
End of story.

[Franco Cozzo]

Jail sentences for driving offenses but its alright for our African friends to go around causing mayhem with aggravated burglaries and 200 people punch ups in Melbourne - slap on the wrist and out the door again.

I guess tackling the real problems costs money and effort rather than making money

Follow groups like this - look at the comments for speed camera/booze bus and police locations:

https://www.facebook.com/MelbourneRevenueRaisersAlert/

[smoo]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Jail sentences for driving offenses but its alright for our African friends to go around causing mayhem with aggravated burglaries and 200 people punch ups in Melbourne - slap on the wrist and out the door again.

I guess tackling the real problems costs money and effort rather than making money

Follow groups like this - look at the comments for speed camera/booze bus and police locations:

https://www.facebook.com/MelbourneRevenueRaisersAlert/

The govt and media fuelled propaganda on speed has worked to a point where productive and law abiding citizens are marginalised, treated and made to feel like criminals for simply breaching the speed limit. The same people they use as cash cows in the way of taxes & levies, they are fleecing them for minor traffic infringements for a few seconds of inattention or being at the wrong place at the wrong time (overtaking a truck etc).

Meanwhile the scum of society some of what you mentioned above get a slap on the wrist and referred to some useless tax payer funded agency by a limp wristed do gooder judge, for the whole process to repeat itself six months down the track.

This puts a new meaning on license loosing territory. Any car or bike enthusiast will know how easy it is to breach these unrealistically low tolerances on a weekend drive/ride. This will put more people out of work, or there will be more motorists getting around with no license so they can pay the rent/mortgage.

The authorities might have more support if they came down just as hard on tailgaters and txt/Facebook/tinder & drive.

[roddy1960]

Interesting subject ...I tried to find an easy comparison for Tassie especially for the monetary speeding fines . A bit vague . Maybe it depends on other factors or I'm so dumb I just can't find right portal for vehicle speed fines ..

I think though anyone exceeding the limit by 38 kmh but less that 45 kmh is an instant disqualification of 3 months and over 45 kmh is 4 months . Alcohol and drug related offences much much longer periods of times of course.

Penalties for speeding less than 38 kmh over the limit I believe here are monetary and demerit points only and loss of all your points within 3 years means loss of licence for 3 months like just about everywhere else .

A bit of fun here..Nobody's going to bother reading through this massive list of traffic offences list for cyclists , motorbikes cars and trucks but I'll post anyway just to show how many traffic infringements apply here and all States in our country ..

https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/lic...affic_offences ..

Good luck being abreast of all of them ..

[Papa Smurf]

Maybe Victoria needs more money for???? This is just another REVENUE raising example.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Papa Smurf

Maybe Victoria needs more money for???? This is just another REVENUE raising example.

Need money for putting up our African friends in 5 star accomodation at our expense

[xisled]

I support most things that are done to create safety on our roads, but over the past couple of years, I have seen many roads speed limits reduced.

Maybe this is a tactic that has been in the makings for a few years now, lower roads to 80 that were once 100 and then increase the penalties to drive up revenue.

I can not see how making the fine more and losing and increasing the suspension time is going to do anything to create a safer road environment.



I guess since the downturn in house prices, meaning less stamp duty the Vic Gov needs to get money from somewhere.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/real...ce2cea4a067536

[Pooka]

My take, if you are going to be driving over the limit by 35-45km/h, or more, you deserve a massive fine. Suspension of licence for a year or more as well. 3 - 6 months is not good enough. You can't argue that the speedo is inaccurate at those types of speeds!! It was deliberate and you are well aware of what you are doing. If you're not aware, then stay off the f#*king roads!!

[383hq]

Originally Posted by Uncle Doddy

My take, if you are going to be driving over the limit by 35-45km/h, or more, you deserve a massive fine. Suspension of licence for a year or more as well. 3 - 6 months is not good enough. You can't argue that the speedo is inaccurate at those types of speeds!! It was deliberate and you are well aware of what you are doing. If you're not aware, then stay off the f#*king roads!!

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

I can't comprehend why they think they need to "adjust" this stuff for something which is existing registration??

Some of us are well travelled
Some of us understand there is a compromise between productivity and other outcomes such as safety

Cars and roads are much safer than 40-50 years ago, and yes numbers are up ( this will never change) but speed limits are reducing

35 over in a 100 zone is 135
Highways in France are 130
China 120
USA? Many states people drive at 75-80 mph
Germany ?

Other countries are far more progressive
Yes we have wild life, the four Roos and one emu I have hit were all well below speed limit (in 28 years)

I am far more alert ( and less fatigued) when driving rurally

As for $38,000 for driving while disqualified, this may be a touch unfair if you don't receive the speeding fines for many months via mail/processing lead times in your police/camera state , but when mr policeman pulls you over in real time he's not going to tell you the speed camera division has a 7 week photo to mail receipt lead time

Any issue by itself may not be a problem, but the cumulative issues faced by an individual from overly bureaucratic practices may have greater effects on mental health and decisions made thereafter (thinking ATO strong arming, Child support agency, retrospective financial demands (ato/ Centrelink) etc

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by 383hq

As for $38,000 for driving while disqualified, this may be a touch unfair if you don't receive the speeding fines for many months via mail/processing lead times in your police/camera state , but when mr policeman pulls you over in real time he's not going to tell you the speed camera division has a 7 week photo to mail receipt lead time

It's a maximum fine. That's why you have a judge to determine the fine. You would have to have done a fair bit to get it.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by Uncle Doddy

My take, if you are going to be driving over the limit by 35-45km/h, or more, you deserve a massive fine. Suspension of licence for a year or more as well. 3 - 6 months is not good enough. You can't argue that the speedo is inaccurate at those types of speeds!! It was deliberate and you are well aware of what you are doing. If you're not aware, then stay off the f#*king roads!!

When im overtaking a caravan doing 90 in a 100 zone, im going to get round it and back into my lane as fast as possible. If that means doing 150 then so be it.
It's far safer for me to be doing that than to be overtaking at 105kmh spending in inordinate amount of time in the wrong lane.

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by XR Martin

When im overtaking a caravan doing 90 in a 100 zone, im going to get round it and back into my lane as fast as possible. If that means doing 150 then so be it.
It's far safer for me to be doing that than to be overtaking at 105kmh spending in inordinate amount of time in the wrong lane.

Fair point ..within reason and suitable road/weather conditions of course .Just like the speed limit is the maximum safe driving speed in ideal conditions.

How often do you see drivers doing 100 when it's torrential rain or fog bound even if the road is rated to that speed . Too many of the really dangerous drivers don't heed" driving to the conditions" . That's the real issue . Speed limits can be too draconian at times .

It can be completely safe to travel at 110-115 in great conditions and get booked. Or could be doing 99 in rain etc when it's really dangerous and not get whacked on the same bit of road too especially if an automated speed camera is involved..

How much discretion do the cops actually have with this ? Not much I bet .

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by roddy1960

It can be completely safe to travel at 110-115 in great conditions and get booked for doing 99 in rain etc when it's really dangerous and not get whacked on the same bit of road too especially if an automated speed camera is involved..

How much discretion do the cops actually have with this ? Not much I bet .

I have a close relative who is a police officer in the Vic Highway patrol.

I asked him, what tolerances do they allow when using a hand held radar.

He said, most cops won't book drivers doing up to 5Kms over the limit in 80 or 100Km zones, as they don't want to get into the angry roadside arguements over booking people for only a few K's over the limit and appear to be ****holes and revenue raisers.

They get more satisfaction and feel justified, booking people doing well over that limit, and its more worthwhile their time from the higher fines they can give out.

He said he personally, would rarely book someone doing less than 10Kms over the limit in those 80 and above limits.

They are not so lenient in the 40Km school zones though.

Fixed speed cameras on the other hand, that offer no human discretion, are the ones you really need to watch out for.

[speedy]

Victoria..... the ultimate NANNY state ...

[Mercury Bullet]

Originally Posted by XR Martin

When im overtaking a caravan doing 90 in a 100 zone, im going to get round it and back into my lane as fast as possible. If that means doing 150 then so be it.
It's far safer for me to be doing that than to be overtaking at 105kmh spending in inordinate amount of time in the wrong lane.

That's where road trains are handy... I can get up to 190.