Police Wrap - 1 October 2010

farnakler said:

“I think crushing offender’s cars is something the ACT government should have a good look at. The WA government is using it and it’s being considered by other state government.”

– I agree. Preferably with the offender inside the car.

LMR the penalties for drink driving are just as pathetic. An acquaintance recently had a high reading but the magistrate told him that, as he’s had 20 years of incident free driving, the penalty would be 4 months suspension and a $500 fine. That’s a doddle. Again, had the penalty been say a year’s suspension and a $5000 fine, he may have thought differently about driving that night.

farnarkler said :

The $271 fine is (how on earth did they come up with $271??) too low. Make the fine $5000 and people might sit up and obey the law.

I though large fines like $5000+ are reserved for extremely serious crimes, like running onto the SCG during a cricket match

We have all heard the studies saying that talking on mobiles is as dangerious as driving with a BAC of 0.05.
If the govenrment is serious, and the studies are to be believed, why dont the government make the penalties the same? I wonder..

And as for those illuminated signs everywhere, the one that gives me the shits the most is the ‘Shut up and drive, its the law’ Im sorry its NOT the law, where in the law does it state that being anything other than absolutly silent while driving is a breach of the law? Its bullshit, and this one sign makes the whole campaign a farce, it appears to be deliberate misinformation. What has led our government to consider us so frakking stupid?

Mully was only one man.

Fines all round aren’t big enough to deter people from offending. An acquaintance recorded a high range drink driving reading recently and only got 4 months and $500.

Had the penalty been a $5000 fine and his car crushed he might have thought differently.

I think crushing offender’s cars is something the ACT government should have a good look at. The WA government is using it and it’s being considered by other state government.

Agreed. Put the fine up. $271 doesn’t cover the life damage and cost to the community.

Watch these if you dare…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0LCmStIw9E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72gRlWXgD0o

The use of hand held mobile ‘phones while driving is symptomatic of the more general attitude among many drivers that the law doesn’t apply to them. Many drivers think they should be able to get away with it. They wouldn’t tolerate lawbreaking by somebody else but they do it themselves without thinking.

While anti-social behaviour is usually defined as rowdy youths or vandalism, for many it is the antics of drivers who refuse to accept that use of mobile ‘phone rules and speed limits apply to them.

Driving without care or consideration for other road users is probably among the worst kind of anti-social behaviour in its truest sense, because serious offenders can, and do, kill.

The weekend carnage on NSW roads is a case in point – see http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/here-we-have-a-family-thats-been-obliterated-20101002-161xg.html

The $271 fine is (how on earth did they come up with $271??) too low. Make the fine $5000 and people might sit up and obey the law.

terubo said :

I find it seriously distracting to read quaint messages on VMBs (such as the one on Tugg. Parkway) whilst travelling at 100kph.

Really? Anyone who is that easily distracted probably shouldn’t be driving. Can’t be too distracting – haven’t seen a prang near a VMB yet.

terubo said :

I find it seriously distracting to read quaint messages on VMBs (such as the one on Tugg. Parkway) whilst travelling at 100kph.

What I find irritating is when messages are shown in two alternating parts. Usually, while driving, I read signs by glancing at them for a moment, while continually, checking the road ahead, nearby, and my mirrors (and sometimes eating a hamburger, drinking, talking on my mobile etc….). Long signs, take more then one glance to read the whole thing. I find the VMBs always seem to be in sync with my checks, so that I see part of them message in the first glance, then when I look back a few moments later, it is either still showing the same part, or has cycled through and is showing it again.