The state of speeding..

[predator]

Very thought provoking article with some interesting figures in there.. In fact, one of the most intelligent I've read for a while on the issue.

http://theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/18/1...4360633943.html

As the measures were phased in, starting with a Transport Accident Commission "Wipe off 5" advertising campaign in August 2001, then with follow-up enforcement, the effect was instant. In the 1999-2000 financial year, 574,000 speeding fines were issued. Two years later, as the measures began, it was 907,000 fines, according to Justice Department figures. To the year to June last year, it jumped to 1,307,000 infringement notices, an unprecedented number in a state with 3.5 million registered vehicles.

another provoking statistic:

But serious injuries from road accidents are actually increasing - in the year to September 2003, there were 6658 serious injuries in Victoria, more than 4500 of them in Melbourne. That was fewer than the year before, but more than there were in the bad old days of 2000-01 when there were 6550 serious injuries, defined as those needing hospital treatment.

[Abo Bob]

Yeah not a bad one at all. One issue we have and we probably continue to have is that money raised from certain areas doesn't go back to those areas; eg speeding fine money doesn't go to improving roads and the money from the Harbour Bridge Toll in Sydney doesn't go to the roads in the Northern Sydney area.

We are starting to notice the limits of our democracy lately but have no viable alternative earmarked. It's not like the people profiting most from the current system (the pollies and their associated hangers on) are going to research new democratic ideas.

[matthew33]

Yes, well put, but what do we do as motorists. Ashamedly we take it. What I'm sure that we all realise though is that speed cameras DO NOT save lives. Especially when they are hidden as here in Brisbane. But the political machinations of this country are not going to kill of the cash-cow that funds the cofers. We should have better roads and perhaps better road info for young motorists not only of the dangers of speed but the other stupid and inconsiderate actions of ignorant drivers on our roads

Rant over

[cooks44]

Hidden speed cameras..... They love 'em here in Vic too.... Recent sightings:

- Divvy sitting in between factories just waiting to prey on said motorist (must admit, with the area's history I guarantee they picked someone up in five minutes (Did anyone say Fiveways Blvd, Keysy??)

- Marked car sitting at top of embankment next to 100 zone freeway, about 30 metres above the roadway (Westall Rd Ext, Dingley/Keysy; who the hell looks for speed cameras 30 metres above the road you're on?!?)

- Copper not in uniform, wearing reflective vest and using new (tiny) camera on tripod - looks exactly like a surveyor at the side of the road. Marked car parked 500-600 metres away. They operate these cameras standing about two metres away as well (Cnr. Warrigul & South Rds)

[T0nyGTSt]

In the NT they put bullets in the cameras. In other countries they do perform a 'Soweto necklace' on them. I think the time for 'peaceful protest' is over if you truly believe that democracy truly isn't working.

T.

[51jay]

Blame it on the imfamous silent majority. I think it is true that Australia (as much as I love it) is a nation of sheep.....and most of them live in cities around the coastline

[T0nyGTSt]

The problem is that people are wrapped up in their houses, jobs, investments and possessions to be worried about the injustices we endure.

There's too much senseless authoritarianism is this country that we are all to willing to accept.

T.

[Guest INASNT]

If the governments cared about keeping the road toll down and not about all the revenue they are raising then they would take the points off your license and not make you pay such high fines for speeding.

[R31Nismoid]

Good pick-up gordo!

A few very interesting points came up out of that.

More contentious is the sales job to persuade the public that the speed enforcement campaign against small-time speeders is based on solid evidence. In TAC television advertisements, on police websites, and in the arrive alive! strategy document, a little graph always turns up. It is the "crash risk by travel speed" graph, based on 1997 research at the Road Accident Research Unit at Adelaide University.

I like this part... the Goverment as part of thier campaigns is using data/graphs from 1997 data?

That's quit poor if you ask me, to rely on a graph so old to 'scare' motorists should have been turned around by the ACCC, maybe they are a bunch of scardy cats too ???

If they do hit them, they are doing so at slower speeds and the child on the road or the drunk wandering on the street survives.

This is another mute point... why go ALL out at the motorists... ??

There surely has to be some campain at the parents and piss-pot's too... but no, you can fine them for doing that (yet)

There wouldnt be deaths is parents watched thier kids and drunks werent being... drunk.

If you are plastered and walk onto the road and due to your impared judgement- get hit.

Then it's pretty much your own fault. No matter if the car that hits you is speeding or not, if your were not drunk, there there would be no problem at all.

According to Ian Johnston from the Accident Research Centre, the international experience shows that anything works to get the road toll down, as long as what is done is based on evidence and is rigorously implemented. There's nothing much more Victoria can do to force its citizens to change their behaviour.

We're at the end of it, he says, and it is time to do something novel: put real effort and money into making roads and cars safer

I totally agree. Even in the CBD some roads are totally appaling. High time the Government Pollies stopped using the fines to buff up thier superannuation, and put it back into improving the quality of bitumen that these accidents and deaths occur on each time.

The whole 'speeding' campains in my view, have been a band-aid for a bigger problem, that could have been address by spending the fines on the roads... but it has been botched by the goverments and now there is more and more revolt emerging.

I cant see Bracksie being around another term after this.

1.3 million fines... 3.5 million drivers... FFS, stop raping us BRACKS

[GTR R35]

you guys should visit http://www.roadsense.com.au/ as it has a lot of info. If you can get enough people together you WILL change policy's. The governments are motivated by 2 main things.

1. Spending money they do not care about (ours)

2. What people think about them when they are dragged out on a saturday to vote the next useless prick in.

[Guest RedLineGTR]

we need more speed cameras..hahaah

i've read so many articles about speeding, cameras, fines, etc i'm getting so sick of this shit expecially with the bracks goverment in general in vic. The goverment will do what they want as they always have.

[predator]

Not if you actually make it an election issue and cast your vote because of it. Think about it - some of us may have lost 100's over the years due to "maybe" a little too heavy reliance on revenue raising. If there is one thing that effects the mind of the voters is when it hits at the hip pocket, so it should be at the tops of everybody's minds come election time.

There is one thing that you can never prevent in society is stupidity! and trying so hard to change this is aspect never really going to work, as that is the cause above everything else - not 5km/hr over, not a modified car, not an older car, not being tired, not an unroadworthy car - one thing: human stupidity.