Can you imagine receiving a $1209 fine for using your phone while driving? How about two of them within weeks of each other? I had an interesting conversation with a Kiwi mate at the Brisbane Truck Show last week who experienced exactly that a few months ago.

Having just relocated to Brisbane, he had had his phone on his lap with maps set to guide him while still learning his way around the city. Both times, the overhead camera on Brisbane’s motorways picked up the phone on his lap and pinged him. Once his wallet was some $2400 lighter, he wasted no time buying a cellphone cradle to stick to the dashboard.

Say what you will about that sort of surveillance, but you can’t deny a fine that hefty – never mind two – would be effective at changing behaviour. Contrast that with the penalty in New Zealand of $150 and 20 demerit points (max 100) … it just seems laughable by comparison. For interest, in Queensland, you’d accrue four points (max 12) with your fine.

Unless you’re a serial offender on the way to being relieved of your licence, I’d argue the financial penalty is more effective for the average motorist than the points. Offenders would be more likely to feel the sting of a high three- or four-digit fine … Money talks, whether you’re receiving it or having it taken off you.

It’s the same with speeding. Pinged for 10km/h over the limit in New Zealand? That’ll be $30 to the crown (and 10 points). Queensland will relieve you of $322 (and one point). If you’re 21-25km/h or 26-30km/h over in New Zealand, you’ll pay $170 or $230 respectively (and 35 points). In Queensland, going 20-30km/h over the limit will cost you $725 and four points.

Seeing a pattern? At the upper end, just out of interest – in New Zealand, you can exceed the limit by up to 50km/h and incur a $630 fine and 50 points. In Queensland, anything more than 40km/h over, and you’re in for $1854 and eight points.

Without writing a full editorial comparing our road offences penalties to Queensland’s, it’s clear that New Zealand’s penalties are too lenient to be truly effective. Granted, the overall standard of driving and law-breaking around the country doesn’t seem to be so unbelievably bad that we’re desperate for such surveillance and penalties. That’s just my opinion – perhaps truck drivers on the road everyday would beg to differ.

With NZTA taking over the operation of all safety cameras and the police no longer operating their mobile safety camera vans from 1 July, the agency deployed its first mobile safety camera this week. It will operate 44 around the country in SUVs and trailers. That will undoubtedly make them more difficult to spot just parked at the side of the road compared with the police vans – distinctive by being so bland (something that interested me in Brisbane is that their vans are marked). I’d imagine the move to SUVs is deliberate, and it’ll be interesting to find out if the number of notices issued increases.

Earlier this month, Transport Minister Chris Bishop also announced tougher penalties for anti-social and intimidating driving – a great move. Why weren’t all penalties increased at the same time? I don’t have that answer, but I’m sure there are some drivers out there relieved they weren’t – and even more so that they don’t live in Queensland.

Take care out there,

Gavin Myers
Editor