Call to fine cars that break down. Vic.

[joolz]

Saw this in the news today and had to laugh but im sure it will become law someday.
To be fined if your car breaks down an any major Melbourne arterial during peak hour (basically all day) is IMO stupid. Unless its due to neglect of the vehicle like running out of fuel.

Its not like we go out of our way to break down.

A while back in my EL on the way to Adelaide from Melbourne i got around 10k's from home and the engine just stopped. After getting a tow truck home and several hours later it was the fuel pump. Now these cannot be serviced nor can you predict when they may go. Now if this was to happen under these stupid laws i would have copped a fine on top of the tow and repairs.

Is it just me but motorists are just revenue for the Gov!

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/mor...-1226354236410

[blueoval]

this will open a can of worms. Imagine the implications if you broke down, get fined for it, and then you sue the car manufacturer for a part that was the cause of the break down to cover the costs???

I agree, some things are due to owner neglect, but what if its a manufacturer issue? Do you think they will cover the fines based on your location of break down? I doubt it.

[BHDOGS]

What bout a mechanic that didn't do his job properly? What bout dodgy fuel from a servo? Haha a laughable idea and impractical

[Rockape]

Just another tax..

[sudszy]

Originally Posted by joolz

Saw this in the news today and had to laugh but im sure it will become law someday.
To be fined if your car breaks down an any major Melbourne arterial during peak hour (basically all day) is IMO stupid. Unless its due to neglect of the vehicle like running out of fuel.

Its not like we go out of our way to break down.

A while back in my EL on the way to Adelaide from Melbourne i got around 10k's from home and the engine just stopped. After getting a tow truck home and several hours later it was the fuel pump. Now these cannot be serviced nor can you predict when they may go. Now if this was to happen under these stupid laws i would have copped a fine on top of the tow and repairs.

Is it just me but motorists are just revenue for the Gov!

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/mor...-1226354236410

Sorry, couldnt read the article, needs a login. Was there any advice on what the majority of the breakdowns were due to. One would hope that getting a flat wouldnt be a case for a fine.

I tuned into 774kHz on the tailend of a woman complaining about this today.
She was carrying on about how "anyone" can just run out of fuel because its happened to her because she was distracted by her kids and failed to notice the low gauge and fuel warning lamp!.

My opinion is it is cases such as that which warrant such actions, not taking seriously the responsibility of driving a vehicle and the effect to the rest of us when her actions result in a traffic snarl, would she have the same carelessness if she was flying an aircraft.

Perhaps there ought to be a pre drive checklist for dimwits such as her to follow, fuel, water.......brain

[Charliewool]

Heard some "would be expert" (Harold Scrubby type) commenting on 3AW this morning on this issue.
His solution for avoiding breakdowns was an annual roadworthy check!(naturally!)
From that, I gather NSW cars NEVER breakdown???

[EATHSV]

They fine you for leaving your window down an inch in tassie. Aparently it encourages theves to break into your car....
I asked a police officer about it and he said that if the windows up they won't take the oppitunity..... I replied that if they weren't breaking into my car I wouldn't take the oppitunity beat them to death with my tyre iron.. he laughed.

[mik]

any number of things can go wrong and still be nothing to do with poor maintenance, hands up all those that have had a new car with some sort of complex electronic device go awry? flat tyre anyone?

to me looks like another money grab.

[flappist]

It is not a tax nor is it government policy.

It is just the same group of idiot do-gooder car haters raving on over crap about which they have no idea trying to get media attention which of course always sets off the second tier idiot do-gooder car haters in a frenzy to support the first tier idiot do-gooder car haters by means of talk back radio and even internet forums.

[Geez Louise]

It is a sneaky way for them to bring in yearly RWC in Victoria which they are pushing for...More money we have to pay to be able to live in the Nanny State.

We will no doubt start to see more stories on Accidents with cars that had a faulty this, faulty that....Surely the accident wouldn't have happened if that car had to pass a RWC yearly??...And so many breakdowns on the Westgate...well if the cars were checked every year the number would go down significantly...Pfft! Sure..yearly inspections would pick up Everything!!

Oh yes my fellow Victorians...it will be bought in...and quicker than you think!!

[XWGT]

Bollocks!

[Racecraft]

I'd take the fine over the Qld "pusher" system....

[JG34JA]

Says the bureaucrat Floyd Ferris: "You honest men are such a problem and such a headache. But we knew you'd slip sooner or later . . . [and break one of our regulations] . . . this is just what we wanted."

Rearden: "You seem to be pleased about it."

Bureaucrat Ferris: "Don't I have good reason to be?"

Rearden: "But, after all, I did break one of your laws."

Bureaucrat Ferris: "Well, what do you think they're there for? Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed? We want them broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against . . . We're after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted - and you create a nation of law-breakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with."

Ayn Rand labeling it what it is...

(online ref: http://www.mind-trek.com/articles/t12d.htm )

[sudszy]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

It is a sneaky way for them to bring in yearly RWC in Victoria which they are pushing for...More money we have to pay to be able to live in the Nanny State.

We will no doubt start to see more stories on Accidents with cars that had a faulty this, faulty that....Surely the accident wouldn't have happened if that car had to pass a RWC yearly??...And so many breakdowns on the Westgate...well if the cars were checked every year the number would go down significantly...Pfft! Sure..yearly inspections would pick up Everything!!

Oh yes my fellow Victorians...it will be bought in...and quicker than you think!!

This is what it says on the vicroads site:
The roadworthiness test is not a check of the mechanical reliability or general condition of the vehicle.

What is inspected:
other safety related items on the body, chassis or engine.

It would of course be an arguable case to state that mechanical reliability will affect safety and that an engine with deteriorated wiring, perished radiator hoses etc could fail and create a safety concern.

For the diy enthusiast: I have no trouble with an annual rwc inspection if it is free if you have no faults.

for those that pay to get their cars serviced, the servicer should be basically doing a rwc inspection on it each time and proof of that should be enough to satisfy authorities.

[DJM83]

I reckon an annual RWC should be mandatory. When i was living in NSW the amount of poorly maintained cars was no where near as bad as in Vic or QLD (plenty up here)

But stick with the 3 year rule (No car 3 years or newer needs one)

[HUNTER8]

Car breaks down ............... you get a fine.
Not paying attention and you cause a major pile up .......... no problems.

Wonder what happens if you blow a tyre on one of their potholes?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Say I no longer drive incase my car breaks down, can I fine the Dept of Transport each time my train is late or does not come at all?

After all... that isn't my fault now is it?

[joolz]

For those that cant read the news article link>>


MOTORING and transport groups have called for the owners of cars and trucks that break down on freeways during peak hour to be penalised.

This follows a spate of incidents in which single vehicles have delayed thousands of frustrated motorists by conking out on CityLink or the Monash Freeway.

VicRoad's decision last week to slash the number of emergency crews by half - a response to state budget cuts - is likely to make the situation worse.

Road experts said many mechanical breakdowns were caused by poor maintenance and were avoidable.

More than 451 trucks broke down on CityLink last year alone - an average of two per day.

About 3199 cars - or nine a day - stopped on freeways and major arterial roads.

Figures from the RACV reveal motorists were most likely to have their journey blocked by stalled vehicles on the Monash Freeway, with more than 670 calls for assistance in the first three months of this year.

Victorian Transport Association CEO Phil Lovel, said: "There has to be some kind of a penalty.

"It can't keep happening and ruining the efficiency of our road system."

National Motorists Association of Australia spokesman Michael Lane said while fines would be difficult to enforce in court, some sort of stick was needed to make drivers accept responsibility for their actions.

He called for mandatory road worthiness checks to be imposed after a suspect breakdown.

Mr Lovel went further, stating VicRoads should inspect the maintenance records of serial offenders, including trucking companies.

CityLink spokeswoman Natasha Whalley said mechanical failure accounted for 31 per cent of all incidents attended by emergency crews on the toll road in 2010-11.

"When a car or truck breaks down on CityLink, we can respond on average in approximately six minutes," she said.

"However, depending on the nature of the breakdown, particularly for trucks, it can take 30 to 40 minutes to clear the scene."

VicRoads manager traffic and incident management, Keith Weegberg said there was virtually no spare capacity on our major roads during peak periods when things went wrong.

[Geez Louise]

Originally Posted by Phil Lovel Victorian Transport Association CEO

"It can't keep happening and ruining the efficiency of our road system."

This is in the running for quote of the year!!

[joolz]

If it was to become law they would have to define a "breakdown" due to the following..
"Road experts said many mechanical breakdowns were caused by poor maintenance and were avoidable"

As many cars can just stop a week from new.

Or maybe this is just a cover up for the very poor road planning from Vicroads...

The sudden loss of a lane inbound on the Monash at Warrigal Rd and the centre lane on the Bolte bridge to access the westgate Fwy inbound for examples... The Bolte is a joke in the mornings.

[BA-XT]

So what constitutes a brakedown? Fuel pump, oil pump, alternator, puncture? Are you fined if your parked in the emergency lane? These can't be helped at all. If your car is found to be a POS then yes, that's fair enough.

It's only mentioned on freeways. Roads are exempt?

[blueoval]

Its obvious clear definition of break downs and who is responsible needs to be made. I think a flow on affect of finger pointing with potential law suits could happen with this.

Providing roads with mechanical slip lanes for cars that are broken down should be minimum, still allowing traffic flow to be mostly unaffected, rather than penalizing car owners which in my opinion doesn't fix the problem, it only frustrates those who use the roads and lines the pockets of those who enforce the rule.

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by Mr_BA2003

Are you fined if your parked in the emergency lane?

It's going to be renamed to the "On the spot fine" Lane. They even supply phones so you can ring through your credit card details for immediate payment.

[memnoch]

alot of holden drivers will be spewing hahaha

[Jim Goose]

I can understand a fine on the freeway if you run out of petrol as that is pretty inexcuseable..... however how can ANYONE predict "an act of god"? such as a break down?

Most people wouldnt know what to look at in a car and "trust" their mechanics to do the right thing.

What happens if your hit by lightening in a storm and suddenly stop on a freeway? (unlikely i know)

I dunno if it still happens in New Zealand, but when they used to show that Motorway Patrol, the police cars were equipped with large rubber push bars, to push cars off the freeway to get traffic flowing again.

One also needs to ask, why are freeways not equipped more with a breakdown area you can pull over? On some freeways you have no safe area to stop at all....

[TZENU]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

What happens if your hit by lightening in a storm and suddenly stop on a freeway? (unlikely i know)

....

Or during a severe downpour... Nope bad luck you need to keep driving even if you can't see metres ahead of you; you're on the freeway now...

[joolz]

Another thing is the people to asses the breakdown (eg, citylink vans) would have to be a registered mechanic of some sort. As far as i know all they know is how to turn on flashing lights and push a car into the emergency lane.

A big can of worms if it does come into effect.

[2011G6E]

I remember one of those cop TV shows (the one that's from NZ), where a woman in a new VW Beetle ran out of fuel and had to pull into the breakdown lane of one of the highways around Auckland. The cops turned up, and handed her some ridiculous fine (I'm sure it was up near a grand) for running out of fuel. The woman was a solicitor and was stunned to silence by it...as would anyone with half a fricking brain. The cops said seriously that if you let your car run out of fuel, you shouldn't be driving on the highway as, in not so many words, you aren't a competent motorist.
Anybody here never run out of fuel...?

The "breakdown" is a pretty vague term and an obvious money spinner. Hell, I can rebuild engines, work on cars and motorbikes competantly, and have restored three motorbikes and four cars...but if our new G6E suddenly stopped on the side of the road, I wouldn't have a clue where to start beyond opening the bonnet and staring blankly at it.

[sudszy]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I remember one of those cop TV shows (the one that's from NZ), where a woman in a new VW Beetle ran out of fuel and had to pull into the breakdown lane of one of the highways around Auckland. The cops turned up, and handed her some ridiculous fine (I'm sure it was up near a grand) for running out of fuel. The woman was a solicitor and was stunned to silence by it...as would anyone with half a fricking brain. The cops said seriously that if you let your car run out of fuel, you shouldn't be driving on the highway as, in not so many words, you aren't a competent motorist.
Anybody here never run out of fuel...?
.

Im sure they'll seriously consider not pushing the empty envelope again if they know there is a painful consequence for doing so, perhaps that's why planes running out of fuel isnt of such frequency.

[sudszy]

Originally Posted by Mr_BA2003

So what constitutes a brakedown? ?

failed master cylinder?