Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr_Jones
First time in australia...great country but how do you guys stand driving down here with the ridiculously low speed limits and all of the cameras.
im even afraid to drive my nissan tiida because of the ticket threat...cant imagine a 135 (which i typically open up once or twice per commute at home in the states).
|
I think most of Australia would agree with you. In recent years, Speeding in Australia has been recognised as a serious offence and the consequences are exceedingly severe. Another issue is that in certain areas it seems that the roads have not been zoned properly and the speed limits being set are too low. Each year the fines and penalties have consistently gone up in price for speeding offences. We work on a demerit point system and once all your demerit points are diminished due to speeding tickets, fines etc you will more than likely lose your licence. It doesn't take much to lose your licence here though.
In Queensland we get 12 points on an Open Licence which is meant to last 3 years. If you get a couple of tickets in a year or 2 you will probably lose your licence. Each state has slightly different rules but they are all essentially very much the same. Driving 40km/hour over the speed limit and getting caught results in a 6 month High Speed Suspension and also a 3 month Suspension from the Dept of Transport. There are plenty of other harsh rules but they have all been implemented to combat speeding on our roads.
The government invests alot (and I mean alot) of resources into police targeting motorists that speed, speed cameras, red light cameras, random breath testing, random drug testing etc etc. The revenue that this generates is huge and alot of people believe that the government is simply cashing in.
Regardless of the governments motives, speeding is seen by the majority as a serious issue here in Australia and our road toll is considered to be way too high. Most speeders are repeat offenders but there are alot of motorists that receive tickets for being about 10km/h over the speed limit too. I have recently heard of governments using car crushing to stop repeat offenders. Today a court may, if it sees fit, order for a persons vehicle to be crushed if they think it is the necessary punishment.