QLD Raise Fines by 33%.......

[DJR-351]

Courier Mail

By Steven Wardill
November 10, 2008 11:00pm

QUEENSLAND offenders will pay for their sins as they are hit with an across-the-board hike of one-third on all fines levied by the State Government.

From January 1, fines for all offences - including traffic, boating, littering and smoking - will be increased, increasing Government revenue by an estimated $70 million a year.

The Government also plans to regularly increase fines, insisting the amounts are not hurting people in the hip pocket as much as they should in order to act as a deterrent.

The controversial move will cause outrage at a time when Queenslanders are suffering because of the world financial crisis and is certain to prompt allegations of blatant revenue raising.

Fines will be increased by raising the cost of a single penalty unit from $75 to $100 in the Penalties and Sentences Act.

For example, this means a fine for using a mobile phone while driving, which attracts three penalty units, will increase from $225 to $300.

It is the first time since 1999 that the basic penalty unit cost has been lifted.

However, the size of many fines, particularly for traffic offences, have been increased over the past nine years by raising the number of penalty units they attract.

Premier Anna Bligh last night told The Courier-Mail that fines were meant to change people's behaviour, particularly in relation to traffic offences, which could cost lives.

"Queensland has the lowest fine penalty (unit) rate in the country," Ms Bligh said.

"There is no reason why people who break the law here should get away with it cheaper. The value of the penalty needs to be increased from time to time to ensure that it has an impact on people's hip pockets.

"Nine years without an increase is too long. We have let it slip and we will be looking at more regular reviews, likely every three years."

Ms Bligh denied the fine increase was in response to falling revenue, after the global financial crisis wiped at least $700 million from the Government's coffers this year.

"This is not a tax, speeding is not compulsory," she said.

However, the Government has already calculated that it will make $70 million a year from the change but has promised to spend the majority of the funds on road safety.

Some of the target areas include:


Improved speed management and an additional 106 traffic police.

New hand-held laser speed detection devices, mobile radar speed detection devices and speed cameras.

New police motorcycles.

Improvements to black spots on the state-controlled roads.

Ms Bligh said she hoped the increase in fines for traffic offences would help to make speeding and other dangerous actions on the road as unacceptable as drink-driving.

"We have succeed in making drink-driving socially unacceptable," she said.

"We need to do the same with speeding.

"This package of measures is about getting tougher on people who are not listening.

"They are a risk to themselves and others on the road."

The Government will decrease the number of penalty units in some areas, such as interstate trucking laws, to retain national consistency.
END QUOTE......



Not a bad pay rise at all, this is not blatant revenue raising at all, this is for your own good...................

[Smoke Pursuit]

Too bad they dont have any police to enforce them! :

[SB076]

Its the government.... they are always going to raise taxes and fines to support there inability to manage funds. Yet the road toll continues to rise

[TadKa]

wow $300 bucks for talking on the phone. I had no idea it was that expensive. It's probably less in Tas though.

[davez104]

Increase the fines, use the money to employ more police/revenue collectors?? WTF is with that? Why can't we get the majority spent on improving the cr@p we have to drive on? Surely that would be more effective than more cops on the road.

Dave.

[Hunter]

Originally Posted by TadKa

wow $300 bucks for talking on the phone. I had no idea it was that expensive. It's probably less in Tas though.

It should be expensive! As someone who has been run up the bum by a silly cow on a phone and almost killed/injured by similar idiots on a daily basis, I feel it should have big penalties attached. Its not that hard to stop your car and answer the phone.

Otherwise, re the topic, increasing the penalty unit is nothing new. It hasn't been increased for some time and well inflation, baby, inflation.

[GORDZ]

106 more nazi cops. great.

why do traffic police even exist? council workers can easily get a permit to direct traffic, and uniformed officers can attend crashes. 'traffic' police... jesus. sort of being like a community lawyer yeah? s*** end of the stick. i wonder what the job pays.

[Darkr]

Originally Posted by XA351COUPE

New hand-held laser speed detection devices, mobile radar speed detection devices and speed cameras.

Lucky you!

[FPV GT40]

Originally Posted by GORDZ

106 more nazi cops. great.

why do traffic police even exist? council workers can easily get a permit to direct traffic, and uniformed officers can attend crashes. 'traffic' police... jesus. sort of being like a community lawyer yeah? s*** end of the stick. i wonder what the job pays.

Traffic police is just another word for highway patrol cop...not sure they have anything to do with Nazi's (I doubt it), and yes they get payed quite well, but I doubt most Highway patrol officers would feel they get payed enough for putting up with brainless peanuts on the road all day long.

And then cleaning up the mess of the results of said brainless peanut driving.....and dragging dead or half dead bodies out of cars on the side of the road.......and then having to knock on someones door at 2am to tell them that their son, daughter, father, wife etc etc(insert any family member here) is in the morgue on ice..., so they probably do not get payed enough!!!

Raising fines is a good idea and should be done across the board, as obviously they are not high enough I still see people talking on the phone every time I drive, was nearly run off the road by some ingnorant twit changing lanes in a big 4WD while talking on the mobile...would have been only too happy to hand him a ticket for $300.

And raising fines is sort of a user pays system, as if you drive like a human being and according to the road rules it costs you nothing yet you will still reap the benefits of having more police on the road and hopefully better roads to drive on again payed for by said peanuts....so all good :

[GORDZ]

fair comments, but i'm still just dirty on that 'traffic cop' that handed me my first demerit point and fine 3 weeks into my licence, for coming out of a car park with only parkers on (not full headlights) at DUSK.

I think that fines when handed out correctly are good and justified, but for stupid things like 3kph over, a tail light out, or an arm out the window etc etc, just create resentment. Is a larger fine going to speed cameras on every corner don't help either. I always here about these 'quotas' traffic cops have to fill, but I don't know what truths there are to that. Although the way victorian traffic cops hand out tickets like lollies, and yes sometimes for petty petty things, I would rather be a tele marketer

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by GORDZ

fair comments, but i'm still just dirty on that 'traffic cop' that handed me my first demerit point and fine 3 weeks into my licence, for coming out of a car park with only parkers on (not full headlights) at DUSK.

This is a pretty rare thing to be caught out on, but no offence, such is life.

[GORDZ]

i know such is life, as a victorian i'm used to it. But unfortunately, as an australian, thats where we're at.

wind your window down, say 'hey mate, your lights aren't on' and be on our way... thats australian, or at least thats the culture of old I always here about from older people. As sad as it is, I think that caring sharing aussie culture is dead and buried.

[Wally]

Originally Posted by XA351COUPE

Courier Mail


"Queensland has the lowest fine penalty (unit) rate in the country," Ms Bligh said.

Yeah well we couldn't have that... the Smart State falling behind the others goddamnit. If those pesky southerners think they have the wood on us when it comes to a nanny police state they better think again.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by GORDZ

i know such is life, as a victorian i'm used to it. But unfortunately, as an australian, thats where we're at.

wind your window down, say 'hey mate, your lights aren't on' and be on our way... thats australian, or at least thats the culture of old I always here about from older people. As sad as it is, I think that caring sharing aussie culture is dead and buried.

Being one of the "older people" I can confirm that you're right in all respects GORDZ.
That cop that booked you for not turning your lights on needs a good kick up the backside. The fact that you had put your parkers on showd that you had perceived the need and performed an appropriate action. As you say, he could have just given you a signal to go to headlights.

[FPV GT40]

Originally Posted by GORDZ

fair comments, but i'm still just dirty on that 'traffic cop' that handed me my first demerit point and fine 3 weeks into my licence, for coming out of a car park with only parkers on (not full headlights) at DUSK.

I think that fines when handed out correctly are good and justified, but for stupid things like 3kph over, a tail light out, or an arm out the window etc etc, just create resentment.

I feel if the law is broken a fine is justified, I hate people talking on mobile phones, and arms out the window what is that...how can anyone have proper control of a car with their arm out the window??? Is that supposed to look cool or something...I don't get it..

But for the head light thing a warning would have been nice, but may be you did not pass the attitude test in the first 10 seconds of being spoken to...

[DJR-351]

Will be interesting to revisit this topic in a year or so to see how many lives have been saved, cant see it making any difference really, i would not have a clue to how much the fines are anyhow (have not had one for twenty years), and i would say that goes for the majority of the population.

How many people, idiots or otherwise, think "ohh, better check on what the fines are worth today" before putting the foot down, doing that burnout or answering the bloody mobile etc etc, bloody zip ill bet.....

No its just revenue raising and the appalling road toll is all the excuse needed to implement it.....

[irlewy86]

Originally Posted by GORDZ

106 more nazi cops. great.

Crabby at Redcliffe is finally going to have some friends.

[GORDZ]

Originally Posted by XA351COUPE

Will be interesting to revisit this topic in a year or so to see how many lives have been saved,

, no thread in the pub lasts one week, let alone a year!!!! espesh when rules are being discused.


:


GT40:, "But for the head light thing a warning would have been nice, but may be you did not pass the attitude test in the first 10 seconds of being spoken to..."

i had never been pulled over before, and I was absolutely polite (i didn't know wtf i was being pulled over for!) i was in the gf's old celica (with the pop up lights). i had the parkers on, the dash lit up, i'm thinking they lights are on. He asked me to turn lights on, off, brake lights, checked tread, rego, my priors (none at the time) and everything, so i'm thinking it's just a roadworthy once over (the car was a P.O.S)

I knew nothing of the fine until he came back with the $114 infringement and said he pulled me over becuase my lights weren't on, have a nice night.


broadmeadows.

[flappist]

Lots of people are speeding. Why would that be?

1) The people of queensland are criminals who ignore laws.
2) THE SPEED LIMITS ARE TOO LOW.

But of course all the "experts" who come from places that are smaller than a lot of cattle stations will not agree.

This fines are increased to stop speeding. YEH RIGHT. The fines are increased for more income, no other reason. If the penalties were designed to stop offending then the POINTS would be increased.

N.B. This was tried but it was worked out that when the number of people without licenses became too high there would be too larger public backlash against the politicians so it was dropped.

It is a delicate balancing act. Maximum income for minimum cost without reducing offences becase if people ACTUALLY stopped speeding, the government would have to create a whole new tax system.

Here is a thought. EVERYONE exceeds the speed limit on a regular basis. Anyone who says they don't is a liar or does not drive. Remember SPEEDING is 1 km/h over the limit which is not hard to achieve on a long steep down hill run.

We are all constantly hammered by "speed kills" ads, news stories and propagandamercials like Home and Away or Neighbours. As society gets dumber and less free with every generation we slowly slip back to where we were before the revolutions of the 16th-18th centuries. All those wars were fought and all those people died because the greedy governments just kept increasing taxes and fines and removing freedoms under the guise of "It is for your own good".

So we accept the fines, accept the lies and life goes on.

Try to make a stand and you are villified. Try to remove the idiots in charge and you are attacked by the true believers for whom the incumbent idiots can do no wrong and those who make their living from controvacy, the media.

[Hunter]

flappist, you forget that a significant percentage of roads in QLD aren't capable of being driven on safely at the CURRENT LIMIT let alone an INCREASED limit.

And no I don't live in the bush, I live in the 'big smoke' which is, according those out west, given all the money. Well the roads in my inner-Brisbane suburb would say otherwise.

Take a look at the western freeway - a report back in the 80s stated it should not be driven on any faster than 80 km/h because it isn't capable of handling high speeds... yet its 90 and 100 km/h zones in some places, and even now the surface is that awful its not even safe at 80 km/h!

I am not saying all areas have their speeds set (in)correctly - there's plenty of roads which are in good nick and not near any potential hazards which are oddly 60 km/h yet some roads right outside schools and houses and other potential danger spots which are 80 km/h zones.

Having said all of this, I suspect that people speed because they 'think' a road can take it yet don't always appreciate why they should not go 'full bore' through particular areas. Take a look at how many people get booked in school zones - a lot of them are parents who would probably be the first to complain if their kid got skittled!

If you increased the speed maybe people would not feel they need to go any faster but I suspect people would just keep on driving faster than the limit because they have false beliefs in their own ability and/or think the government always gets it wrong (they do sometimes get things right). So if most people do 70 in one 60 zone then the speed is upped to 70, you'd probably find most people would start doing 80 and so on... At what point do we stop? 100? 150? 200?

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by Pedro

Being one of the "older people" I can confirm that you're right in all respects GORDZ.
That cop that booked you for not turning your lights on needs a good kick up the backside. The fact that you had put your parkers on showd that you had perceived the need and performed an appropriate action. As you say, he could have just given you a signal to go to headlights.

Why, because he did his job. They are park lights, they are intended for marking a car that is temporarily parked, not one driving. Headlights are either on or off, I have been to many prangs because morons do not know where the light switch is or how to use it properly.

I will be honest, this is my pet hate and if I were a cop I would give any person (even my own Grandmother) a fine for not lighting a vehicle properly, no warnings, no excuses, just fines. It is just plain dangerous and not necessary in any way.

Traffic police is just another word for highway patrol cop...not sure they have anything to do with Nazi's (I doubt it), and yes they get payed quite well, but I doubt most Highway patrol officers would feel they get payed enough for putting up with brainless peanuts on the road all day long.

And then cleaning up the mess of the results of said brainless peanut driving.....and dragging dead or half dead bodies out of cars on the side of the road.......and then having to knock on someones door at 2am to tell them that their son, daughter, father, wife etc etc(insert any family member here) is in the morgue on ice..., so they probably do not get payed enough!!!

Raising fines is a good idea and should be done across the board, as obviously they are not high enough I still see people talking on the phone every time I drive, was nearly run off the road by some ingnorant twit changing lanes in a big 4WD while talking on the mobile...would have been only too happy to hand him a ticket for $300.

And raising fines is sort of a user pays system, as if you drive like a human being and according to the road rules it costs you nothing yet you will still reap the benefits of having more police on the road and hopefully better roads to drive on again payed for by said peanuts....so all good

Best post so far!

If higher fines give me less mush to clean up out there, good.

Its the old saying, do the crime, do the time (or pay the fine in this case), whatever it is. If you don't do things to get fines, you won't know how much it is.

[GORDZ]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Why, because he did his job. They are park lights, they are intended for marking a car that is temporarily parked, not one driving. Headlights are either on or off, I have been to many prangs because morons do not know where the light switch is or how to use it properly.

I will be honest, this is my pet hate and if I were a cop I would give any person (even my own Grandmother) a fine for not lighting a vehicle properly, no warnings, no excuses, just fines. It is just plain dangerous and not necessary in any way.

I said dusk mate... street lights weren't even on. Then he says to me when i get out and argue with him ' you're a p plater, the rules should be fresh in your mind!' and i tell him he has it backwards, and if it were my car and i had been driving for 40 years THEN thered be no excuse. I called him unaustralian and drove off.

if thats 'doing your job' then like i said, i'd rather be a telemarketer than a C t.

[Buddy 1]

Originally Posted by GORDZ

fair comments, but i'm still just dirty on that 'traffic cop' that handed me my first demerit point and fine 3 weeks into my licence, for coming out of a car park with only parkers on (not full headlights) at DUSK.

I think that fines when handed out correctly are good and justified, but for stupid things like 3kph over, a tail light out, or an arm out the window etc etc, just create resentment. Is a larger fine going to speed cameras on every corner don't help either. I always here about these 'quotas' traffic cops have to fill, but I don't know what truths there are to that. Although the way victorian traffic cops hand out tickets like lollies, and yes sometimes for petty petty things, I would rather be a tele marketer

It is hard for me to know Just how Dark it was however you are far Better off Having your Parkers on when it is Getting dark than no Lights at all.

I often see vehicles on the HWY at Half Light with no Lights on at all & they can be Damm Hard to see, at least if they had Parkers on they would in Half Light be Visable from the Front & no Less Visable from the Rear than full Lights.

I think the Cop in Question was after you as you had P's :

PS: I always have my Full Lights on Low Beam any time of the Day, not that I cannot see or wish to show off, more like I want Bad Drivers to be able to see me.
Used to be Fog Lights in Daytime however now you Get fined for this :P

[icedfrog]

It's the labor way - tax, tax, TAX!!!

I wonder what it will be wated on.

[balthazarr]

Originally Posted by flappist

Lots of people are speeding. Why would that be?

1) The people of queensland are criminals who ignore laws.
2) THE SPEED LIMITS ARE TOO LOW.

But of course all the "experts" who come from places that are smaller than a lot of cattle stations will not agree.

This fines are increased to stop speeding. YEH RIGHT. The fines are increased for more income, no other reason. If the penalties were designed to stop offending then the POINTS would be increased.

N.B. This was tried but it was worked out that when the number of people without licenses became too high there would be too larger public backlash against the politicians so it was dropped.

It is a delicate balancing act. Maximum income for minimum cost without reducing offences becase if people ACTUALLY stopped speeding, the government would have to create a whole new tax system.

Here is a thought. EVERYONE exceeds the speed limit on a regular basis. Anyone who says they don't is a liar or does not drive. Remember SPEEDING is 1 km/h over the limit which is not hard to achieve on a long steep down hill run.

We are all constantly hammered by "speed kills" ads, news stories and propagandamercials like Home and Away or Neighbours. As society gets dumber and less free with every generation we slowly slip back to where we were before the revolutions of the 16th-18th centuries. All those wars were fought and all those people died because the greedy governments just kept increasing taxes and fines and removing freedoms under the guise of "It is for your own good".

So we accept the fines, accept the lies and life goes on.

Try to make a stand and you are villified. Try to remove the idiots in charge and you are attacked by the true believers for whom the incumbent idiots can do no wrong and those who make their living from controvacy, the media.

+1

I accept the fines, though I've only ever had one. Will never accept the lies. If speed is such a killer, how is it that the German Autobahn has such a low fatality rate?

Of course, the Autobahn is built and engineered to a much higher standard than our crappy roads... but it seems that more and more if you're caught doing 3km/h you're treated like a criminal, and the worst kind of criminal at that.

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by GORDZ

, no thread in the pub lasts one week, let alone a year!!!! espesh when rules are being discused.

Can you stop being a whinger for once?

[GORDZ]

can you start being a mod for once? personal attacks go both ways, and i thought they were against the T&C, but hey... do as i say not as i do yeah?


cya in a week guys

[GORDZ]

mm good point paul... highway patrol cars... don't do much patrolling really. they park and hide behind trees alot. and the only time I see a police officer "Patrolling" the pavement is on those J-Walk crack down days we have in melbourne. Life saving stuff.


oh no, i'm whinging again.

[ieatsports_cars]

i dont agree with it, more off a reason to flick our lights off i for got that fine went up by 33% as well what a shame

[Crazed]

Originally Posted by Hunter

flappist, you forget that a significant percentage of roads in QLD aren't capable of being driven on safely at the CURRENT LIMIT let alone an INCREASED limit.

And no I don't live in the bush, I live in the 'big smoke' which is, according those out west, given all the money. Well the roads in my inner-Brisbane suburb would say otherwise.

Driving 1500km or more a week in rural areas, I can tell you that most of the roads I drive on have speed limits way too low to effectively combat fatigue and inattention even after a couple of hours of driving. Most roads have a design speed well above the speed limit, so most road speed limits can be increased with no structural changes.

After driving in Europe, I cannot believe that Australia with such a sparse rural population has speed limits so oppresively low. Even looking at the national car fleet (average age 9 years, biggest selling vehicles large 6 cylinder sedans) shows we are probably of only of a handful of nations where the average vehicle is capable of efficent and safe long distance driving at high sustained speeds. Compared to when I was in Italy, 160km/h between towns surrounded by little fiats and other 3 cylinder oddities