Great stuff Speeding fines to go up in Victoria The ruling Liberal governments determination to maintain a budget surplus in the midst of falling revenue has seen it target motorists and motorcyclists Speeding fines have been increased by a hefty margin in the 2012 Victorian budget, delivered by treasurer Kim Wells on May 1. The changes are as follows: Exceeding speed limit by less than 10km/h up $15 to $178; Exceeding speed limit by 10-20km/h up $37 to $281; Failure to obey a red light up $46 to $351; and Driving an unregistered vehicle up $92 to $703. Budget papers predict that revenue from speed cameras will rise to $305.6 million in 2012-2012, up from $256.9 million the year before. Police on-the-spot fines and toll road evasion fines are also tipped to rise by 26.9 and 14.4 percent respectively, to $159.5 million and $125.5 million. Meanwhile, the government also announced some major road funding in the budget, including: $42 million to duplicate 18km of the Western Highway between Buangor and Beaufort; $35.5 million for the Ballarat Western Link Road, a 4.2km road linking the Western Freeway and Ballarat Burrumbeet Road; and $16 million has been committed to the Koo-Wee-Rup bypass, a town that many motorcyclists regularly traverse on their way to the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
I like how they think. Fix up the roads so they're easier to drive/ride faster on, then catch more people speeding and fine them at the higher fine rates.
Ford Australia post Loss. http://www.carpoint.com.au/news/2012/ford-australia-reports-worst-loss-yet-30186
Least this one is unlikely to tip over like a Reliant Robin! http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/morgans-new-threewheeler-20120510-1yedg.html
Don't I recall a lot of complaints about revenue raising from them when they were in opposition.... No, must have been someone else.
I have absolutely no respect for the TAC, and I think this is quite a good piece on the awful ads they run. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/giving-way-on-the-road-wont-kill-you-either-20120509-1yczr.html Giving way on the road won't kill you either Ian Munro May 10, 2012 A TAC safety campaign unfairly lays all the blame on the motorcyclist. AS AN example of a public safety campaign, the latest graphic Transport Accident Commission campaign aimed at motorcyclists succeeds only in showing once again why the TAC struggles to gain the confidence of riders. The advertisement, running on high rotation on free-to-air television, actually manages to blame the victim of an accident where another motorist has failed to give way, as required by law. This is the scenario: a motorcycle is travelling on a straight road at 68km/h in a 60km/h zone. Ahead, at an intersection on the left, a stationary car is facing a stop sign. As the rider approaches, the car pulls out, attempting a right-hand turn. The rider brakes hard but skids and collides with the car. The 34-year-old rider tumbles over the car, breaking his neck as he lands on the road. This is where things become problematic. The circumstances appear to be derived from an actual investigation. Victoria Police major collision investigator acting Senior Sergeant Peter Bellion tells us the bike skidded for 21 metres before striking the rear quarter panel of the car that turned across its path. Had the rider been moving at the speed limit of 60km/h, Senior Sergeant Bellion tells us, he would have had time to avoid the collision. ''You decide on your speed. The physics decide whether you live or die,'' he says. Fair enough. No one is condoning speeding. And the closing slogan ''Slowing Down Won't Kill You'' is a smart play on everyday speech. I have no complaint with road users being encouraged to slow down. But nowhere is there any criticism of the driver who has caused an accident by failing to give way when facing a stop sign. There is not a hint of it. There is, instead, a subtext that it is all the rider's fault, that since he was speeding, the driver can be exonerated entirely. Had the rider been travelling at the limit, the driver would have had more time to see the approaching bike, Senior Sergeant Bellion says. Maybe, but it's a marginal factor. Is the TAC trying to suggest that speed differential would have changed this outcome? It might have changed the impact for the rider, but it is unlikely to change the driver's behaviour. This is why: take a closer look at the advertisement and you will see that the driver's view of the approaching bike is obscured by a parked tray truck. It is one's responsibility to ensure it is safe to enter another roadway. The driver needed to edge forward to see clearly beyond the truck. He needed to use caution, but he didn't, and a man died. And apparently that's OK if the victim can be seen in any way to have contributed to the accident. This advertisement is aimed at motorcyclists, but it carries a subtle message to drivers that they can be forgiven for not respecting riders. The advertisement fails once it alienates its target audience by not offering even a passing admonition to drivers who disregard riders' right of way. The circumstances depicted could just as likely occur in a 70km/h zone. Where would right and wrong stand then? Instead of this negativity, the TAC could produce an advertisement in which Senior Sergeant Bellion recruits a police motorcycle trainer to demonstrate emergency braking technique. Inject that skill into the scenario above and perhaps the rider would not have thrown his bike into a skid. Perhaps he would have survived. The TAC will better shape riders' behaviour when it demonstrates goodwill towards them. It has a way to go. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT666XwJR2s[/ame]
Good post, good journalism... shows what happens when people get stuck on one idea. Be interesting to see what proportion of 2 vehicle incidents involving bikes are down to the non-bike - I reckon it's be the higher proportion. Every motorcyclist I've ever known injured by another was the innocent party. Unfortunately I also know quite a few injured/ killed where it was only them on the road...
+1 as an ex motorcyclist, I was cleaned up twice by drivers pulling out in front of me. I wasn't speeding either time, but both drivers said I was, the cops automatically believed them (with no evidence) and they weren't charged, meanwhile my bike is a mangled mess under their car. Another common accident amongst my mates (and these days friends kids who ride scooters) is an oncoming car turning right on an orange light. Seems they can't judge the oncoming speed of a small object like a bike. Again, there is little or no consequence for the driver. The mono-focus on speeding ignores driver education and I doubt if any govt will find the political will to fix it. My eldest son got his license last year and I was appalled at how little the training process has changed. As for single bike accidents, I would point to the wide availability of very high powered bikes for very little money. I also am aghast at the number of people riding bikes in t-shirts and shorts - there should be a law again that.
+1 also.. I DO note however that things have changed some at least for bikes since I got my bike and car licence way back when. When I got my bike licence (riding since 12 and fronted to registry absolute first legal day possible) they were barely interested and were already walking back in and writing up the pass even while I was still coming back up the road to park in front of them.. For bikes now there is at least a pre-competency test.. whereas my first 3 kids now have (car) licences and it's beyond pathetic how little they are required to do to get onto the roads. For one, at the very least, get them to do a straight line emergency brake at 50 in the dry.. anyone not able/willing to jam the brakes on, hard, = automatic fail.. I could go on.. When I first took them out as L-platers was to tell them if you are moving you have to be able to stop, and was the first very first thing I did with them.. nice open and quiet stretch of road.. up to limit.. then on the brakes to get the feel of it and control.. then harder and harder till they could "hit it" if they ever needed and know what to expect. For the record I never rode without full boots and gloves and jacket.. the ONLY time I compromised on the top was perhaps t-shirt (but still the rest) if short ride on quiet back streets coming back from the beach on an insanely hot day.. But as for riding with thongs and shorts like some though.. are they insane? lol I rode into the city for years without a scrape.. but a few near misses.. of course every decent rider develops 50 eyes looking everywhere at once to stay safe.. what a pity these days that'd get you a fine from an automated box because you're sure to be doing just that "few" km/h over whatever it was to stay fluid in the traffic and ever watchful.. I'm happy my city riding days long past and can do it in the country, or track.. but not in between.
IMO, it's better for speeding fines to go up than registration fees. If the governments didn't get the revenue from fines they would slug us for more rego.
picked up bikers twice from those circumstances, once a little old lady was at a stop sign, looking into the setting sun in the west and just pulled out on the biker, he was not speeding and his mate 20 metres behind him just stopped in time. Because the old dear was shaking and obviously upset the police assumed the bike was speeding , I was standing next to the accident calling the ambos and watching some do-gooder motorist get out one of the best first-aid kits I've ever seen, thermal blanket, blow-up splints, pressure bandages, etc ..... but no idea of how to use any of it and he was tying torniques on the badly bleeding arms at which point I could stand it no longer and helped put the guy into the splint and used the pressure bandages for what they do best. When the cops mentioned speed I looked at them and said ÿou are kidding right ?" I told them what had ACTUALLY happened and this was confirmed by others there, else the cops would have written this one up as speed causing the accident rather than stupidity, if you can't see due to the sun in your eyes then you don't pull out. The other occasion was just bloody mindedness by an impatient driver who deliberately pulled out on a group of bikes, scattering them bar one who collected this idiot, on the Putty Rd out in the middle of nowhere, drove flatout to Singleton to get help (pre-mobile days)
