Should be more of it I say, especially in road works area’s. The other day had some goose undertake me at the Glenloch roadworks. He must have been offended at me driving at 40km/h and was in a rush. Obviously he only got 1 car in front of me.

“The man was issued with a fine for speeding and for being an unlicensed driver and lost over 6 demerit points.”

Hmmm, how does one lose demerit points when one is unlicensed to begin with?

So the unlicensed driver lost 6 points from the infinity points on his nonexistent licence? How does that work?

Primal said :

So the unlicensed driver lost 6 points from the infinity points on his nonexistent licence? How does that work?

Could have been worse, he might have been an infinite number of times over the zero BAC limit that comes with his nonexistant licence.

Yay for the police fining people that are not me!

I saw someone get pulled over for speeding this morning on Limestone Ave, they obviously weren’t using their mirrors because there were two motorcycle cops behind them when they decided to do 80ish in the 60 zone. Hopefullly they learned a lesson about being aware of your surroundings and taking note of other road users nearby (but I doubt it, we’ll probably see a new thread here asking how to get out of an unfair speeding fine and how it is all the nasty cops fault).

Primal said :

So the unlicensed driver lost 6 points from the infinity points on his nonexistent licence? How does that work?

It doesn’t. IMO unlicensed drivers should be summonsed to Court every time. Although at least the fines will sting him a bit.

Good work, there should be more of this. Police shouldn’t have to announce their blitzes. I reckon a few covert operations with the results announced post-event should keep people on their toes. Hell, have them don yowie suits and hide in the bushes, radar-sniping people. They can raise all the revenue they like: if I’m breaking the law I don’t have a leg to stand on.

luther_bendross said :

Good work, there should be more of this. Police shouldn’t have to announce their blitzes. I reckon a few covert operations with the results announced post-event should keep people on their toes. Hell, have them don yowie suits and hide in the bushes, radar-sniping people. They can raise all the revenue they like: if I’m breaking the law I don’t have a leg to stand on.

Agreed. There was such uproar in Melbourne when they put speed cameras in the back of disguised tradies vans and utes. I say why not? If we had more of this it would probably stop people speeding as much, as you just don’t know where the cameras are.
I was driving through the Glenloch Interchange on my way to work when the police had this ‘blitz’. There was a guy in a ute getting really aggro at me all the way along Gungahlin Dr because I was doing the speed limit. He then raced past me, and then consequently got pulled over by the cops for speeding. A lovely way to start the morning

kezzafezza said :

I was driving through the Glenloch Interchange on my way to work when the police had this ‘blitz’. There was a guy in a ute getting really aggro at me all the way along Gungahlin Dr because I was doing the speed limit. He then raced past me, and then consequently got pulled over by the cops for speeding. A lovely way to start the morning

These situations make my smuggness meter shoot off the dial, and I make sure to flash the offender a massive shit-eating grin as I drive by.

kezzafezza said :

luther_bendross said :

Good work, there should be more of this. Police shouldn’t have to announce their blitzes. I reckon a few covert operations with the results announced post-event should keep people on their toes. Hell, have them don yowie suits and hide in the bushes, radar-sniping people. They can raise all the revenue they like: if I’m breaking the law I don’t have a leg to stand on.

Agreed. There was such uproar in Melbourne when they put speed cameras in the back of disguised tradies vans and utes. I say why not? If we had more of this it would probably stop people speeding as much, as you just don’t know where the cameras are.
I was driving through the Glenloch Interchange on my way to work when the police had this ‘blitz’. There was a guy in a ute getting really aggro at me all the way along Gungahlin Dr because I was doing the speed limit. He then raced past me, and then consequently got pulled over by the cops for speeding. A lovely way to start the morning

I think the biggest issue in relation to revenue raising is that the projects are made on the revenue in the budget, which obviously means quotas are required to meet projections, which is pretty poor public relations considering safety is supposedly the main priority. It leads to situations like my mum getting done for 3km/h over the limit, which is obviously not a safety issue. The other issue is that revenue raised is supposed to be diverted into road safety programs, but what is actually happening is that these funds are being used to create more cameras under the guise of safety. I think the public would be better served if these funds were used to create compulsory subsidised training courses as part of gaining your license etc.

what_the said :

The other issue is that revenue raised is supposed to be diverted into road safety programs, but what is actually happening is that these funds are being used to create more cameras under the guise of safety.

Source please?

what_the said :

I think the biggest issue in relation to revenue raising is that the projects are made on the revenue in the budget, which obviously means quotas are required to meet projections, which is pretty poor public relations considering safety is supposedly the main priority.

I don’t really have a problem with that when it’s clear that it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. I don’t particularly care what the main driver behind it is really, as long as they catch them and possibly deter them from speeding.

And I thought there was a 5km margin for speeding? It surprises me that someone got fined for going 3kms over? That is obviously over the top…

Watson said :

what_the said :

The other issue is that revenue raised is supposed to be diverted into road safety programs, but what is actually happening is that these funds are being used to create more cameras under the guise of safety.

Source please?

what_the said :

I think the biggest issue in relation to revenue raising is that the projects are made on the revenue in the budget, which obviously means quotas are required to meet projections, which is pretty poor public relations considering safety is supposedly the main priority.

I don’t really have a problem with that when it’s clear that it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. I don’t particularly care what the main driver behind it is really, as long as they catch them and possibly deter them from speeding.

And I thought there was a 5km margin for speeding? It surprises me that someone got fined for going 3kms over? That is obviously over the top…

But it doesn’t, otherwise the level of speeding would be decreasing. Fines after the event have been shown to have no effect on recedivism, a bit like hitting a dog because he pissed on the carpet last week. At least with a crackdown, it’s actual police doing police work like catching the two idiots mentioned in the original post.

Happens all the time in Melbourne, it’s really excessive, and just serves to p*** the public off because as you say, it doesn’t fit within speed and camera tolerance. Something like 90% of fines are for offences less than 10kmh over.

They’re also cracking down on being in the right-hand lane over 80km/h when not overtaking on Parkes Way.

William Hovell Drive? Finally! That road always complete idiots on it, more so coming from Civic it seems who go nuts when it finally turns to two lanes going north!

“The man was issued with a fine for speeding and for being an unlicensed driver and lost over 6 demerit points.”

What did he lose those demerit points off?

“He was issued with a $1811 fine and the loss of 6 demerit points.”

He paid a fine, and was rewarded for his behaviour with a loss of points?
The idea of infringement demerits is they are allocated or issued to you, and at the accumulation of twelve points in a 36 month period they suspend you..

This is how it works everywhere else, and we’re no different.

-1 credit for you, ACT Police Media.

William Hovell would be a great stretch for point to point cameras. Some people absolutely fly along there and their attempts to bully other drivers into speeding are disgraceful. The road is dangerous enough as it is (90km/hr without any median strip or barrier separating traffic moving in opposite directions combined with no lighting and a tendency for roos to jump into oncoming traffic) that we shouldn’t have to put up with the plethora of morons who treat it as a racetrack.

Be nice if they could crack down on people like the absolute fucktard that tailgated me, gave me the finger and screamed at me this afternoon because I dared change into his lane (with bags of room to spare). If you’re the guy driving the crappy white 4WD ute with the giant spot light wobbling all over the place, I hope your missus is rooting your brother.

The regular speed cameras – often coupled with actual in-the-flesh cop a few kilometres later with radar gun in hand – have I think definitely slowed the morning flow of traffic on Hindmarsh Drive between Woden and Fyshwick. It seems the deterrent value – which I’ve complained in previous posts is lacking in Canberra – is finally starting to take effect. If there’s a 1 in 10 chance that there will be a radar gun around the corner coming down Hindmarsh Drive in the morning, even Trevor the tradie will get the message eventually and start realising that he can afford to start on the building site two minutes later.

luther_bendross said :

Good work, there should be more of this. Police shouldn’t have to announce their blitzes. I reckon a few covert operations with the results announced post-event should keep people on their toes. Hell, have them don yowie suits and hide in the bushes, radar-sniping people. They can raise all the revenue they like: if I’m breaking the law I don’t have a leg to stand on.

I will never understand people who whinge about “revenue raising” and “quotas”. If you’re not breaking the law, then what on earth are you worrying about? If you are breaking the law, then you deserve to get caught. If no one ever broke the law, then they would never raise any revenue. Good on them for cracking down on people who think that roadwork speed limits don’t count.

Also, agree with zig. How does one lose points from a licence one doesn’t have?

JC said :

Should be more of it I say, especially in road works area’s. The other day had some goose undertake me at the Glenloch roadworks. He must have been offended at me driving at 40km/h and was in a rush. Obviously he only got 1 car in front of me.

I would be as the lowest speed limit I am aware of in the Glenloch Interchange area is 60k’s.

I really want the Police to target the whole GDE roadworks. I am one of the few who sit on the 60k speed limit. As I head towards Mitchell of a morning I have white utes either up my arse or they illegally overtake/undertake to get past me near Canberra Stadium. It is funny that I always catch up with them at the Sandford Street traffic lights.

I just don’t get why the Police are targeting motorists heading away from Gungahlin in the morning & never those heading into Gungahlin.

Harriet Vane said :

They’re also cracking down on being in the right-hand lane over 80km/h when not overtaking on Parkes Way.

What happens if the person in the right lane’s doing, say, 70, and I overtake him doing 80 in the left lane? Or does everyone in the left lane have to slow down to the speed of the car in the right lane?

How many police were involved in this “blitz”. This works out at a ticket every 3.6 minutes.

Personally, I don’t care how many tickets are issued and how much revenue is raised so long as there is accountability as to where the money is going (eg funding police, better roads, improved public transport).

And #10 what_the – I’m surprised that your mother got done for 3k’s over but she was still speeding. Given that speedos (for unmodified cars) tend to overstate the actual speed, I suspect her speedo probably indicated an even higher speed anyway which should have been a warning to her.

I realise that this next statement would need a cultural change in the attitudes of many but if people started treating the speed limit as a LIMIT in ideal circumstances (eg, dry clear weather, daylight, light traffic) and not the MINIMUM speed in all circumstances then the roads would be a lot safer.

Deref said :

Harriet Vane said :

They’re also cracking down on being in the right-hand lane over 80km/h when not overtaking on Parkes Way.

What happens if the person in the right lane’s doing, say, 70, and I overtake him doing 80 in the left lane? Or does everyone in the left lane have to slow down to the speed of the car in the right lane?

I think you misunderstood slightly. This refers to “keep left unless overtaking” which is law once the speed limit exceeds 80km/hr or there’s a sign that says as much. There’s no law against passing on the left on a multi-lane road.

Incidentally, what_the, what was the speed limit where your Mum got done for 3k’s over? If it was 40 then 3k’s is nearly 10% over and it is blatantly a safety issue especially if it was a school zone also.

126>143? presumely by highest speed, they mean highest amount over the limit.

How does someone lose “over 6 demerit points”? It’s either 6 or it isn’t, right?

canberralocal said :

How does someone lose “over 6 demerit points”? It’s either 6 or it isn’t, right?

Ummm obviously not, he lost more then 6 points….

Innovation said :

Incidentally, what_the, what was the speed limit where your Mum got done for 3k’s over? If it was 40 then 3k’s is nearly 10% over and it is blatantly a safety issue especially if it was a school zone also.

60km 3 lane main road. Hardly a safety issue.

But I agree with the percentile, doing 60 in a 40 zone should attract much heavier penalties than 120 in a 100 zone.

what_the said :

Innovation said :

Incidentally, what_the, what was the speed limit where your Mum got done for 3k’s over? If it was 40 then 3k’s is nearly 10% over and it is blatantly a safety issue especially if it was a school zone also.

60km 3 lane main road. Hardly a safety issue.

But I agree with the percentile, doing 60 in a 40 zone should attract much heavier penalties than 120 in a 100 zone.

But this was in Melbourne right?