Distracted drivers are dangerous? Then why is this now a TIN?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AHGLGQgAn8

The governement still hasn’t addressed the question of a charge of careless driving causing death even though it has demoted the charge of careless driving to a Traffic Infringment Notice. Our concern is the vast range of offences that could be charged with careless driving. We believe this is about the backlog in the court system, not road safety.

Vic Roads says that Traffic Infringement Notices are an efficient way of dealing with minor traffic offences’ this is what our concern is, the interpretation of what constitutes a ‘minor offence’

It is getting broader by the day and is in total contrast to the message that is required for drivers to understand their responsibilities on the roads.

In a 2007 TAC campaign it tells us that ‘distracted drivers are dangerous’ yet the very causes of being distracted have been dumbed down to a TIN under a ‘minor offence’

Every day there are serious crashes, everyday these could be fatalities. The causes are the same. It isn’t any good just laying serious charges only if people are seriously injured or killed.

A driver may have had many ‘minor’ offences before he/she causes a serious injury or death and under the current system will never have any driving errors recorded and would face court as a person with a ‘good’ driving record. The death or serious injury could have been prevented if the driver was treated as a person who needed retraining rather than a driver who is expected to be careless!

Unless a person or property is injured then police are no longer required to even attend a crash, the causes are never investigated, the driver could be drunk, drugged or distracted and the authorities will never know, nor do they care if they are not forced too, by injury or death. This is why we still have a road toll, the causes are not being prevented and the downgrading of many offences to a TIN will only increase the complacency of drivers.

Vic roads say the offence of careless driving hasn’t changed but it has, they have included many things that were not ‘named’ before. Like reading a satellite system for example

The current government needs to stop fooling the public into believing they are tough on road trauma causes when they are in fact not.

Take for example the current advert re drug drivers.—

It shows a driver taking drugs, driving, and hitting a pedestrian. It then shows the driver being taken into the police station and being placed alone in cell.

It infers that driver will be taken to jail.

That is a complete con. That driver will never be in a cell, he will not be put into Jail and he will be back on the road the very next day because he will not even have his licence suspended. Then he will be charged by summons. He will not be arrested or even be on bail. A death caused by a culpable driver is the only death that occurs where the killer is not arrested. Why?

This has now happened so many times that the message people are receiving is that it must not have been all his/her fault because otherwise the driver would have more immediate consequences.

The government has said to me that as long as people believe this happens it will have the same affect as it actually happening!! Hence the ads as they are, and hence why behaviour on the roads hasn’t changed.

Scotland and England have just upgraded the charge of careless driving causing death to a jail term. (not just mobile phones)

Other countries are recognising the seriousness of careless driving and our current government is dumbing it down to a TIN??

WHY? poor driver?

FAQs - Careless Driving

Q:	What could happen if I am caught driving carelessly?
A:	A full licence holder who is caught driving carelessly can receive an infringement notice (2.4 penalty units-$272) and incur three demerit points. L and P platers will not get infringement notices for careless driving. This is to ensure that drivers who commit a careless driving offence at this early stage of life are brought before the court and dealt with individually.
Q:	What type of conduct does careless driving cover?
A:	Careless driving describes a person who is driving while inattentive or distracted. A person is driving carelessly if he or she fails to exercise the degree of care and attention that a reasonable driver would exercise in the circumstances. Careless driving includes, but is not limited to, driving that results in a rear-end collision or the vehicle running off the road. It encompasses a range of behaviour that reduces a driver’s alertness and concentration. Some of the behaviour that can give rise to careless driving is: engaging with passengers using technology or an in-vehicle entertainment system, such as a CD player, radio, or satellite navigate system looking or reaching down to pick something up, applying make-up, or consulting a street directory taking your eye off the road to focus on some external, environmental feature or event.
Q:	When will police issue an on-the-spot fine?
A:	Victoria Police will issue an infringement notice if they form the view that it is the most appropriate course of action. Police will take matters into account such as the circumstances of the offending and the alleged offender’s criminal record. They could instead issue a warning or take the matter to court.
Q:	I have received an infringement notice. What do I do?
A:	If you receive an infringement notice, you have 28 days in which to take some action - either to pay it or indicate that you wish to have the matter internally reviewed or dealt with in court. See FAQs - Trial Expansion of the Infringements System - Rights and Responsibilities for details.
	http://www.justice.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/DOJ+Internet/Home/Community+Safety/Road+Safety/JUSTICE+-+FAQs+-+Careless+Driving