I was skipping through the VIC Roads website and came across some interesting details around demerit point deductions and the fines that go with it. While you should always drive in a safe and courteous manner to ensure that we can all enjoy the freedom the open roads provide us, I did also find some of the infringements interesting; some with high fines and others with loss of demerit points or even your licence. I’ve picked out a few that I think would be of most interest to you all as road users.
– Drink Driving offences are hit hard with not only a very heavy fine from $455 upwards, but also loss of maximum demerit points and potentially lose your license. Also, reoccurring offenders can expect to have an interlock fitted to their motor vehicle which really is just a breathalyser that only lets you drive if you are 0.0 blood alcohol level. It’s interesting to note that each machines is calibrated to the drink driver offender so that it is very difficult to trick the machine with someone else doing the breathalyser for you.
– Speeding brings a fine that is progressive depending on the level of excess speed. Starting at $190 for being less than 10 km over the speed limit, it increases up to $758 for over 45 km/h. You also lose demerit points ranging from 4 points to 8 points depending on how many kilometres per hour you travel over the speed limit and you also run the risk of losing your licence on the spot. However, it is interesting to note that if you are nabbed speeding by a speed camera, this attracts a higher fine starting at $265 for being less than 10 km over the speed limit and up to $1,744 for being 45 km/hr over the speed limit.
Interesting enough all the following offenses attract three demerit points and a fine ranging from $152 up to $303 per offence:
– disobeying traffic lights signs or police
– failing to give way or stop
– driving without a seatbelt or your passengers not wearing their seatbelts
– careless driving
– failure to display your P plates
As drivers we need to be aware of our surroundings. For the safety of others in our cars and also those who share the road with us, we need to be mindful of our speed making sure we use safe driving habit’s. No one likes a fine, or even losing their licence as it really restricts our freedom and mobility however they are in place to ensure that we all follow the rules to keep us safe. I want to make sure I make it home for my family and I want the same for you.