Page 3950 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 23 October 1990
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I am confident that this Bill will have some effect on habitual traffic offenders and may make people think twice before deliberately committing an offence. The knowledge of a $100 or $130 fine will act as a deterrent, particularly with repeat offenders. I think this goes some way towards addressing this very serious problem that we have had in the ACT where fines have been as low as they have been.
I must say, Mr Speaker, while taking note of Mr Moore's concerns - and I notice he is now not in the chamber - that these fines have not been increased since 1983. Seven years without fines having been increased is a quite considerable length of time. Perhaps Mr Moore could let me know how many other things have not increased in seven years. I would have to say that there would be very few at all. Fines must act as a deterrent. I hope we do not see again a situation where no increases occur for such a long period. I believe that anything that we can do to support road safety is absolutely vital, and it is in this respect that I commend the Bill to the house.
MR STEVENSON (9.34): I have some concerns with such large increases. I believe that the majority of the increases are to raise revenue, not to handle the problem of car accidents. I think there is a responsibility on government for a number of areas that absolutely have not been addressed. Firstly, there is a responsibility to teach people to drive correctly. I do not believe for a second that that is being done. Who here can handle a car in a skid on a wet road, as an example?
Mr Moore: I can. There you are.
MR STEVENSON: Right. Let us go outside. I will get a bucket of water and we will watch you. And - - -
Mr Humphries: And a car. You have to get a car.
MR STEVENSON: What a good idea. That is excellent if you can. Very rarely can people control the vehicle. They know very little about it. Many cars are actually unroadworthy because people are not taught the basics of looking after their motor vehicle. So many people drive with tyres that are not inflated correctly. We all know that many - - -
Mrs Nolan: We had better check Dennis' car out thoroughly.
Mr Kaine: Tail lights that do not work.
MR STEVENSON: Thank you. At least it is mine. Tail lights that do not work, and various other things. But mostly people do not know how to drive a car correctly, and that is the major problem. In Germany on the autobahns you might be sitting in the middle lane doing about 120 and have a vehicle go by at about 250 kilometres an hour. But those people, looking at their accident rate, do know how
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