QLD BIG Increase in Fines !!!!

[csv8]

PENALTIES for a raft of traffic offences including tailgating and running red lights will be increased from next month.

Tailgaters will now face fines of $175 and one demerit point, almost six times the previous $30 and one point penalty.

Driving through a red light will also attract a fine of $225 and the loss of three demerit points, while failing to give way to emergency vehicles will cost $175 and three demerit points.

About 120 penalties will be changed in the overhaul of minor traffic offences.

It comes after a worrying jump in the road toll in recent days, including a crash south of Ingham involving a campervan and a car that killed four people. Thirty-six people have died on Queensland roads this year.

Premier Peter Beattie said the Government was adopting a number of strategies, including beefing up shock advertising. "Over the past 72 hours there have been some horrific accidents on our roads, including a smash just south of Ingham that claimed four lives," Mr Beattie said.

"While the cause of that particular crash is not known, it is clear that the simple mistakes people are making on our roads every day are costing Queenslanders their lives."

He said people had to take personal responsibility.

"None of these things are very difficult, but people continue to break the rules and they die as a result," he said. "We can have the most draconian measures ever in the history of driving but if people continue to leave their brain on the footpath, then they will continue to kill themselves."

Driver inattention and distraction were blamed as a cause of 45 fatalities, more than 1300 hospital stays and sparked more than 57,000 infringement notices in 2005.

"We've got to keep reinforcing the message so they don't forget it."

Crash-related permanent disabilities will also be highlighted in a new advertising campaign featuring Rockhampton paraplegic Nick Benjamin

WHEN is the government going to learn that education will reduce the road.??????? Using motorists as defacto tax collectors won't ????

[Simmo]

Originally Posted by csv8

"None of these things are very difficult, but people continue to break the rules and they die as a result," he said. "We can have the most draconian measures ever in the history of driving but if people continue to leave their brain on the footpath, then they will continue to kill themselves."

they said this themselves for christs sake. there will always be 1 fool on the road with half a brain. they will never have a 0 fatality road toll because cars go fast and have a lot of stuff on them that can break and turn a situation pear-shaped. i think 36 people is a very low number.

[deesun]

Is the "keep to the left rule" and fine finally going to be beefed up and enforced like NSW?
Was the campervan accident an overseas backpacker/tourist who has very little idea of some of our road rules?

[csv8]

Originally Posted by deesun

Is the "keep to the left rule" and fine finally going to be beefed up and enforced like NSW?
Was the campervan accident an overseas backpacker/tourist who has very little idea of some of our road rules?

Four people were killed and one seriously injured when a car and a campervan collided head-on in north Queensland about 2.20pm.
The crash happened on the Bruce Highway at Waterfall Creek between Rollingstone and Ingham, 250km south of Cairns.

The male driver, 44, a male front passenger and rear-seat female passenger, 56, in the car and a female in the campervan were killed by the impact.

The male campervan driver, 77, who had to be cut from the wreckage, was rushed to Townsville Hospital with chest, head and leg injuries.

Witnesses said a truck driver tried to extinguish a fire in the car's engine.

It is understood the front passengers in the small sedan were from Brisbane, and the rear passenger from Ingham.

The campervan was heading south carrying a couple from the Gold Coast.

The road remained closed for several hours as emergency crews worked to clear the wreckage.

[GXL078]

Redneck cowboy truckies that tailgate and literaly FORCE cars off the motorway is what I observed in Queensland.

[Polyal]

Has any state thought about increasing the fines for speeding? Im not talking about your little fine (<10%), but for those who are caught over say 15-20kph, why not fine them say $1000?

Any reason why this wouldn't be another way of trying to cut the toll? Im struggling to think of a reason why it would be a bad idea.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Has any state thought about increasing the fines for speeding? Im not talking about your little fine (<10%), but for those who are caught over say 15-20kph, why not fine them say $1000?

Any reason why this wouldn't be another way of trying to cut the toll? Im struggling to think of a reason why it would be a bad idea.

I don't see any benefit in that notion at all - particularly when speeding is such a minor contributor to the road toll.

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Has any state thought about increasing the fines for speeding? Im not talking about your little fine (<10%), but for those who are caught over say 15-20kph, why not fine them say $1000?

Any reason why this wouldn't be another way of trying to cut the toll? Im struggling to think of a reason why it would be a bad idea.

Oh dear, your suggestion only further regiments "speed limit conditioning".

Much more to what constitutes 'safe speed' than numbers posted on a sign, or as regulated in one of the two defaults.

Safe speed by nature varies considerably, your proposal will only penalise people who might be driving quite safely, yet above the applicable speed limit.

Speed limits have a place and are a necessity, but are way over relied on, particuarly on good rural highways and motorway class roads.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Has any state thought about increasing the fines for speeding? Im not talking about your little fine (<10%), but for those who are caught over say 15-20kph, why not fine them say $1000?

Any reason why this wouldn't be another way of trying to cut the toll? Im struggling to think of a reason why it would be a bad idea.

Ah so Scruby really does have a secret identity........

[MITCHAY]

Fines can be paid, it's demerits that are the ***** :

I rather pay huge fines than incur demerit points but they rarely (if at all) go one way or the other. Lucky neither are too harsh here.

[LTDHO]

It's good to hear they have bumped up the fines for those laws.

[GXL078]

They actually DECREASED the fine for minor speeding in NSW. Now starts at $75 instead of $114 or something. I remeber getting done for a red lilght in QLD in 1986 and when I realised it was only a $30 fine I thought wow that's cheap its over $100 in NSW, but now its $308 and I know, lol.
I hardly ever get booked by the way but I got done twice last year after a 10 year break. Once for 50Km/h in a school zone and once for the red light. I should have got the picture as all I remember was turning right throught the intersection. My wife reckons the light was at least orange but I can't remember the event.

[Penelope Pitstop]

Originally Posted by csv8

while failing to give way to emergency vehicles will cost $175 and three demerit points.

I reckon the fine for this should be even higher.

Emergency Services have enough to worry about without the general public ignorantly and arrogantly getting in their way.

[pertuan]

Originally Posted by Penelope Pitstop

I reckon the fine for this should be even higher.

Emergency Services have enough to worry about without the general public ignorantly and arrogantly getting in their way.

Agree with that. Once saw an old bloke in a BMW or whatever go into an intersection from a red light when the Fire Truck was barrelling through it. The old bloke would have been taken out too if it werent for the firey slamming on his brakes.

[phoon]

Originally Posted by Penelope Pitstop

I reckon the fine for this should be even higher.

Emergency Services have enough to worry about without the general public ignorantly and arrogantly getting in their way.

I find it hard to comprehend why anyone would not give way to an emergency vehicle. Just shows how stupid some people can be.

[OED666]

did anyone know that the fine for j walking is $130!!! I think speeding more than 10 to 15k's over the limit is less then this.

[[Tonko]]

Originally Posted by OED666

did anyone know that the fine for j walking is $130!!! I think speeding more than 10 to 15k's over the limit is less then this.

only $130? its $200 on the spot here, all 28 of us got done one morning on a pub crawl at 3 am in a redneck town, then another $200 for drinking on the bus....

[S3SR]

must be alot of cops getting promoted and pay rises eh..... :P

penelope im with you there

prevention is better than cure!.... ill bet everything i own most dont know half the rules or unaware of most if not all changes, everyone should go through a driving course with all the rules and common sense and defensive driving courses, fail and so does your licence....thats what id do if i had the power to do so..cost you less than paying your fines and you'll learn something, and they still make money

[Wally]

Originally Posted by csv8

......

It comes after a worrying jump in the road toll in recent days, including a crash south of Ingham involving a campervan and a car that killed four people. Thirty-six people have died on Queensland roads this year.
......

I might come after a worrying jump in road tragedies, but the real truth is it's really to appease the coppers union over the Palm Island issue and to get money to build the recycled water pipeline.

[Rollin]

F*ken AY!

[new2ford]

The one for tailgating intrigues me, in the apparent absence of attention to the keep left unless overtaking rule which on my recent visit to Qld I see is breached in plague proportions.

One of the major reasons for tailgating on multilane roads is, I suspect, failure of a car in front to keep left unless overtaking. In Australia almost the only technique for bringing to attention of a driver in the RH lane of a multilane road that there is a car behind wishing to pass is to tailgate.

If you use European methods of flashing lights or tooting the horn you have the danger of crossing paths with one of the psychopaths on our roads and a resultant road rage episode. To hang back at a safe distance is simply to indicate to the slow driver that you are happy with his/her speed and willing to stay in the convoy of married sheep. So really the only method left is to pass in the LH lane.

Has the Qld govt addressed this when considering punishing tailgating?

Designing the Gold Coast Motorway at 5 lanes each way is a bit of a waste of money if drivers stagger themselves across those 5 lanes at speeds of their choosing. Better to give the land back to the Gold Coast Railway that it shouldn't have been taken from in the first place and keep drivers to a better disciplined and safer single lane if they can't learn the road rules.

Anyway I won't be too hard - Qld no dumber than some other traffic administrations e.g. Victoria and NT.

[Martyvan]

Originally Posted by new2ford

The one for tailgating intrigues me, in the apparent absence of attention to the keep left unless overtaking rule which on my recent visit to Qld I see is breached in plague proportions.

Whats worse is when a truck/camper/car/scooter doing 60kph in a 90kph zone, decides when you are 20 metres behind him that he wants your lane. U sit on the speed limit, he had no one to pass. And just pulled out.

GRRR... But I would LOVE to see the Police Enforce tailgating. Most of the time driving to and from work on the gateway, at or around the speed limit, i cant see the front of the car behind me.... They are that close, unfortunately i work tradies hours, so i get stuck with a lot of them rushing to work after going for their morning surf!

And i also agree with Penelope Pitstop, ignorant people that dont get out of the way of an emergency vehicles are turds and should be locked up.

[kyro_02]

i reckon the amber light doesn't stay on long enough .. an sometimes you hesitate !

i also reckon ... passengers who insist on telling you 'why didn't you go through the green light, you should of gone !' even after I point out there be an ambulance or fire truck entering an intersection with the lights and sirens blaring... it should be legal to slap the *hit out of your passenger/s.

[AnthonyQLD]

Originally Posted by kyro_02

it should be legal to slap the *hit out of your passenger/s.

I thought it was : :

[james22]

Originally Posted by kyro_02

i reckon the amber light doesn't stay on long enough .. an sometimes you hesitate !

i also reckon ... passengers who insist on telling you 'why didn't you go through the green light, you should of gone !' even after I point out there be an ambulance or fire truck entering an intersection with the lights and sirens blaring... it should be legal to slap the *hit out of your passenger/s.

Here Here lol, some ppl have no idea

[Polyal]

yeah it was a spur of the moment comment, but seriously, 20+ over the limit is a bit much and uncalled for...

[Outbackjack]

Originally Posted by Polyal

yeah it was a spur of the moment comment, but seriously, 20+ over the limit is a bit much and uncalled for...

Interesting quote. There are huge variables at play here. 20k's over the limit in say a 40 zone, I agree throw the book at them. But out here in the NT if I go 20 over the limit I would be doing 150 (slower than I used to cruise). In one case you would be putting life at risk. In the other the law is simply an a55. I am hopefull that the ground swell of resentment out here will get our (//) roads back. You guys in the Eastern states should also be pushing to get your way in your states.
http://www.ntnews.news.com.au/common...E13569,00.html

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Outbackjack

You guys in the Eastern states should also be pushing to get your way in your states.
http://www.ntnews.news.com.au/common...E13569,00.html

I'd love to see it but can you imagine all the drongo's from Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, Wollongong all heading out west for a weekend of speed?

[Outbackjack]

Originally Posted by GTP006

I'd love to see it but can you imagine all the drongo's from Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, Wollongong all heading out west for a weekend of speed?

I dont think that that would be an issue. It never happened before. The only abuse of the (//) roads was the cannaball run. But even though I was an ardent opponent of the cannonball, I would probably support it now if it was given proper governmet support/funding. And generally speaking if the folks wanted to make the long long drive out here for a squirt, I would say, go for it. Cruising on the Stuart or the Barkly Hwy's at 200 seems, well, normal.

:eclipsee_

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Outbackjack

I dont think that that would be an issue. It never happened before. The only abuse of the (//) roads was the cannaball run. But even though I was an ardent opponent of the cannonball, I would probably support it now if it was given proper governmet support/funding. And generally speaking if the folks wanted to make the long long drive out here for a squirt, I would say, go for it. Cruising on the Stuart or the Barkly Hwy's at 200 seems, well, normal.

:eclipsee_

I was talking about Western NSW (in response to your suggestion that Eastern States should push for this too), it's only a relatively short trip. NT is well isolated from the "hoons" and can therefore cope (I think) much better than NSW .