Govt signals crackdown on reckless driving
Friday, 21 December 2007
LATEST: The Government is bolstering the driver licence demerit system in a crackdown on repeat offenders aimed at slashing the road toll.
The proposed changes, announced today by Transport Minister Annette King and Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven, include tougher demerit penalties for speeding drivers and new demerits for seatbelt and intersection offences.
But in an acknowledgement that demerits and licence suspensions are more effective than other penalties, the fines for offences such as speeding will be cut.
The proposals also include a toughening up of the learner licence regime for young drivers - doubling the period they must spend on a learner licence and giving police the power to impound learner drivers' cars for multiple license breaches.
Ms King today said the aim of the changes, which the Government will seek to implement next year, was to slash the road toll to less than 300 a year by 2010.
Last year's road toll, the lowest in decades, was 387, but this year's toll already stands at 407.
"The emphasis is on changing behaviour, which is why we are increasing demerits and decreasing fines."
A driver's licence is suspended for three months if a driver accumulates more than 100 demerits within a two-year period.
Ms King said many young drivers were accumulating large fines, which they could not pay, and the fines did not deter them from driving recklessly.
"The message from the consultation programme was that demerit points are a far more effective deterrent than fines.
"These measures will make it tougher for young drivers who repeatedly break the rules while on their graduated licences."
Other changes include:
* introducing a penalty of 75 demerit points for running a red light, 50 points for a stop sign and 25 points for a give way sign;
* introducing a penalty of 25 demerit points for failing to wear a seatbelt;
* giving police the ability to issue a "licence compliance order" to learner drivers who breach their conditions, under which they can impound a car for 28 days for a second breach;
* extending the minimum period under 25-year-olds must spend on a learner licence from six months to a year;
* introducing a tougher test for learners to move on to their restricted licence.
* increasing demerit points from 25 to 35 for learner licence breaches;
* introducing demerit points for radar detectors and other detection and interference devices;
* keeping demerit points active until two years after an offence;
* increasing demerit points for noisy vehicles offences.
Ms King said some of the proposals, which had already been agreed to by Cabinet, would need legislative changes while others would merely need rule and regulation changes.
Drafting of the provisions would begin next year.
Two pieces of legislation that may change the driver regime are already before Parliament - one that would tighten the regime for drugged drivers and another that would raise the driving age from 15 to 16.
The Automobile Association today welcomed most of the changes.
Spokesman Mike Noon today told NZPA the changes were "significant" especially for young drivers.
"We think reducing the fines, but upping the ante in terms of demerits is more realistic and a good move."
He said the current system of penalties was fine for most people, but it did not adequately deal with recidivist offenders.
The new system would do that, he said.
- NZPA
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