- Victoria Police quick to nab drivers for low-level speeding
- By ALEKS DEVIC
- 06/02/2015 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: SpongeBob ( 2 articles in 2015 )
Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill
UPDATE: SWORN police are being used in record numbers to pursue motorists for speeding by as little as 3km/h.
Fines for breaking the limit by less than 10km/h have tripled in five years.
Fines not taxing police resources — fixed and mobile speed cameras — have declined over the same period.
DAVID LEYONHJELM: SPEED LIMITS TOO LOW
The controversial deployment of officers to police minor breaches has attracted the ire of critics, who have slammed it as revenue raising.
It comes as Victoria Police refuses to make public a secret research report about its officers’ attitudes towards and beliefs about low-level speeding.
The force spent more than $10,000 on external consultants to conduct the review, which reports on the personal opinions and recommendations of police members.
The Herald Sun can reveal almost 4.63 million drivers have been busted for speeding by less than 10km/h in the last five years. That amounts to an average of over 2500 a day.
Figures show police using radar guns caught 11,129 drivers in 2009-10, soaring to 37,700 in 2013-14. Mobile and fixed speed cameras caught almost 864,000 in 2013-14, but 906,734 in 2009-10.
There are now more than 400 radar guns, 300 more than in 2010.
Top traffic cop Robert Hill emphatically denied the increased number of fines issued for low-level speeding was about revenue raising.
“It would matter not to me that not one dollar was raised through our speed enforcement program,” he said today.
“This has got nothing to do with revenue raising whatsoever, it is of no consequence to me.
“This is about changing driver behaviour and this is about raising awareness, this is about saving lives and about reducing road trauma in this state.”
The Assistant Commissioner said fines for low-level speeding were directly responsible for reducing the road toll.
Deaths on Victorian roads have dropped from 288 in 2010 to 249 last year.
“The low-level speed enforcement focus by Victoria Police is working, is saving lives,” he said.
The RACV’s road and traffic manager, David Jones, said while educating and deterring drivers from speeding was important, resources should be deployed to crack down on other road menaces.
“There are more serious issues around drink and drunk driving and high-level speeds rather than trying to get people who are slightly going over the limit and then fining them,” Mr Jones said.
“We strongly disagree with the 70 and 90km/h zones that have been lowered to 60 and 80km/h — it makes it even harder for drivers to adhere to these artificial low limits.”
Assistant Commissioner Hill has told his officers to pursue low-level speeding aggressively to try to make it as socially unacceptable as drink-driving.
“Some people believe that low-level speeding is safe. The research clearly demonstrates otherwise.
“If we can change the speeding culture, similar to that of drink driving, many lives will be saved as result.
“Speed enforcement is key to our success.”
Low-level speeding attracts a demerit point and a $189 fine.
Revenue from the handheld police devices is tipped to reach $162.2 million this year — a jump of $2.7 million.
Drivers caught speeding under 10km/h and from 10-14km/h can apply for an official warning and to have the fine scrapped.
Mr Hill said speeding, including low-level speeding, contributed to about a third of all road trauma.
Fines for breaking the limit by less than 10km/h have tripled in five years.
Fines not taxing police resources — fixed and mobile speed cameras — have declined over the same period.
DAVID LEYONHJELM: SPEED LIMITS TOO LOW
The controversial deployment of officers to police minor breaches has attracted the ire of critics, who have slammed it as revenue raising.
It comes as Victoria Police refuses to make public a secret research report about its officers’ attitudes towards and beliefs about low-level speeding.
The force spent more than $10,000 on external consultants to conduct the review, which reports on the personal opinions and recommendations of police members.
The Herald Sun can reveal almost 4.63 million drivers have been busted for speeding by less than 10km/h in the last five years. That amounts to an average of over 2500 a day.
Figures show police using radar guns caught 11,129 drivers in 2009-10, soaring to 37,700 in 2013-14. Mobile and fixed speed cameras caught almost 864,000 in 2013-14, but 906,734 in 2009-10.
There are now more than 400 radar guns, 300 more than in 2010.
Top traffic cop Robert Hill emphatically denied the increased number of fines issued for low-level speeding was about revenue raising.
“It would matter not to me that not one dollar was raised through our speed enforcement program,” he said today.
“This has got nothing to do with revenue raising whatsoever, it is of no consequence to me.
“This is about changing driver behaviour and this is about raising awareness, this is about saving lives and about reducing road trauma in this state.”
The Assistant Commissioner said fines for low-level speeding were directly responsible for reducing the road toll.
Deaths on Victorian roads have dropped from 288 in 2010 to 249 last year.
“The low-level speed enforcement focus by Victoria Police is working, is saving lives,” he said.
The RACV’s road and traffic manager, David Jones, said while educating and deterring drivers from speeding was important, resources should be deployed to crack down on other road menaces.
“There are more serious issues around drink and drunk driving and high-level speeds rather than trying to get people who are slightly going over the limit and then fining them,” Mr Jones said.
“We strongly disagree with the 70 and 90km/h zones that have been lowered to 60 and 80km/h — it makes it even harder for drivers to adhere to these artificial low limits.”
Assistant Commissioner Hill has told his officers to pursue low-level speeding aggressively to try to make it as socially unacceptable as drink-driving.
“Some people believe that low-level speeding is safe. The research clearly demonstrates otherwise.
“If we can change the speeding culture, similar to that of drink driving, many lives will be saved as result.
“Speed enforcement is key to our success.”
Low-level speeding attracts a demerit point and a $189 fine.
Revenue from the handheld police devices is tipped to reach $162.2 million this year — a jump of $2.7 million.
Drivers caught speeding under 10km/h and from 10-14km/h can apply for an official warning and to have the fine scrapped.
Mr Hill said speeding, including low-level speeding, contributed to about a third of all road trauma.
Source: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victoria-police-quick-to-nab-drivers-for-low-level-speeding/story-fni0fit3-1227208368437?sv=2199d2cdc4de51f64c6eaf2afecadad2&utm_source=Herald%20Sun&utm_mediu
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