NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay increases demerit points for drivers using phones

[Express]

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay increases demerit points for drivers using phones


Akansha Singh
25 November, 2015



Sarah Durazza died when her car hit a tree. Photo: Supplied


The NSW government is making no apologies for raising the demerit penalty for mobile phone use while driving to six points for the Christmas period.

"You might think this is a bit tough. I don't give a damn," said Roads Minister Duncan Gay. "We're deliberately making it tough. But if I save your life, I've done you a favour."

The current demerit penalty for using your phone while driving is three points, which is set to increase to four in early 2016. Drivers caught using their phone in the double demerit period between December 24 and January 3 will accumulate six demerit points.



Killed in a car accident: Sarah Durazza. Photo: Supplied


Mr Gay cited the "edgy" NSW "Get Your Hands Off It Campaign" as a forerunner to the demerit point rise.

"The fines that the police have handed out have dropped from 52,000 to 35,000 off the back of our Get Your Hands Off It Campaign," Mr Gay said. "That's why we're going into the next step."

Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Troy Grant said the current road toll of 307 people - 34 more than last year - was unacceptable, and that the community simply wasn't listening.

"We have seen that it only takes two seconds of distraction for you to suddenly be vulnerable to death - of yourself, or to cause the death of others behind the wheel of a motor vehicle," Mr Grant said. "We make no apologies for being tough in this area."

"We know that travelling at 60 kilometres an hour, you can travel 33 metres blind if you're looking at your phone," said Mr Gay. "At a 100 kilometres an hour, you're travelling the length of an Olympic swimming pool in those two seconds."

Sydney model Sarah Durazza died in 2014 after her car crashed into a tree. She lost control of the vehicle seconds after she answered a call from her boyfriend.

In 2012, 20-year-old Brooke Richardson was killed after her car crashed moments after she sent a text message.

"We all see them," said Mr Grant. "Particularly professional drivers see them from buses and trucks. People are losing their lives and they're killing others."

Yahoo News reports American deaths due to mobile phone use jumped 8.1 per cent in the first half of 2015.

According to statistics, this was the biggest six month jump in traffic deaths since 1977.

"It doesn't matter where you drive in the state, whether you're in the cities or you're in the regions," said Mr Grant. "If you're gonna use your mobile phone, my cops will get you."

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/m...25-gl7k3x.html

[Stefan]

When will we implement capital punishment for traffic offences?

Murder rape or kill, a judge gives you slap on the wrist.

Commit a traffic offence, police execute you on the side of the road.

Maybe our pollies should get their priorities straight and focus on real crime.

[Express]

Like most of us I see silliness and poor car control on roads every day and in many cases you can see a phone in their hand or to their ear.

I don’t see a problem with increasing demerit points for this type of offense when clearly too many people are willingly allowing themselves to be distracted when concentration is what helps save lives.

I've been involved in two not at fault accidents in the last ten or so years and on both occasions the other driver hit me while being busy on the phone.

Summary execution should only be used for extreme offenses like Camry driver’s hogging the right hand lane.



.

[Itsme]

If this what it takes to stop people using mobiles I'm for it, no excuses for the offenders.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Stefan

When will we implement capital punishment for traffic offences?

Murder rape or kill, a judge gives you slap on the wrist.

Commit a traffic offence, police execute you on the side of the road.

Maybe our pollies should get their priorities straight and focus on real crime.

if someone is killed by a motorist, is not that motorist a 'killer'??

this is a good move.

[Tassie f100]

I feel the phone while driving penalties should be much more severe for texting than for phone talking.Whilst talking is a distraction it's probably not much worse than talking to passengers in the vehicle BUT texting should be an automatic on the spot minimum 30 day licence suspension and$500 fine.Second offence 12months suspension and $2000 fine

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

I feel the phone while driving penalties should be much more severe for texting than for phone talking.Whilst talking is a distraction it's probably not much worse than talking to passengers in the vehicle BUT texting should be an automatic on the spot minimum 30 day licence suspension and$500 fine.Second offence 12months suspension and $2000 fine

actually, next time you take a call via hands free, take note of your concentration levels.

some people say hands free is only marginally less safe than actually holding the phone. it is proven that it is a lot different to talking to a passenger in the car.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by Stefan

When will we implement capital punishment for traffic offences?

Murder rape or kill, a judge gives you slap on the wrist.

Commit a traffic offence, police execute you on the side of the road.

Maybe our pollies should get their priorities straight and focus on real crime.

Killing someone while using a phone while driving seems like a real crime to me.

[csv8]

What about eating food, lollies ,changing radio stations etc? Just as distracting,

[prydey]

Originally Posted by csv8

What about eating food, lollies ,changing radio stations etc? Just as distracting,

whilst they are all distractions, they are not the same. all distractions are not equal. its all to do with the way the brain works.

as an aside, (and off topic) unless i'm on an interstate road trip, i have a 'no eating' policy in my car. my wife's car on the other hand, looks like a giant rubbish bin.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by csv8

What about eating food, lollies ,changing radio stations etc? Just as distracting,

Good Idea, but are you not one to complain about traffic laws at every opportunity, and now you want more??

Originally Posted by Stefan

When will we implement capital punishment for traffic offences?

Murder rape or kill, a judge gives you slap on the wrist.

Commit a traffic offence, police execute you on the side of the road.

Maybe our pollies should get their priorities straight and focus on real crime.

So I suppose when you have a head on with a driver texting and end up in a wheel chair or killing one of your kids or worse then you might change your tune, may be if people stopped committing offences and killing them selves and others we would not need these laws, try walking down a highway at 2am with a plastic bag and torch picking up body parts and various organs you might also change your tune.

What about the photo in the OP showing the emergency staff cleaning up the mess because someone needed to send a text, what about the parents what about relatives of the victims. What about the cost to society??

[damo76]

Good.. As a motorbike rider i see morons using there phones a lot while driving or siting at lights ect.

[Express]

On the news right now is a story about the distraction phones cause for people walking.

Walking into moving cars, walking off train platforms and walking into a whole manner of obstructions.

Some people can’t walk while on the phone, it’s frightening to think how they could handle something far more complex such as driving a vehicle.

It said one in seven road deaths are distracted pedestrians.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Express

On the news right now is a story about the distraction phones cause for people walking.

Walking into moving cars, walking off train platforms and walking into a whole manner of obstructions.

Some people can’t walk while on the phone, it’s frightening to think how they could handle something far more complex such as driving a vehicle.

It said one in seven road deaths are distracted pedestrians.

I wonder why we don't hear Harold Scruby shouting for pedestrians to be fined.

Maybe he's overseas on holiday

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

Killing someone while using a phone while driving seems like a real crime to me.

Anyone seen the video of the Hyundai nsw police van careering into a queue of cars stopped at a red light? Cop was texting or on the phone, apparently. What if the policeman had collided with a group of children crossing the intersection. Best to have one rule for all. No phone or computer usage while behind the wheel , irrespective of whether wearing a badge and uniform or not.... Wearing a badge and uniform does not make one superhuman, as much as wearing a superman suit does not make one superman.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by csv8

What about eating food, lollies ,changing radio stations etc? Just as distracting,

Imagine if all road travel was treated like a race from point A to point B. No stereo, no eating or drinking, no conversation, both hands on the wheel, 100% iron clad focus. Helmet, gloves, HANS device seats, roll cage. Road toll and travel times would be a lot lower. A lot of automotive tech originated from racing, so why not the attitude and common-sense safety measures. This should be the approach of motoring safety bodies. Average joe with no passion or skill for driving should take the bus.

[FPV+fteT3]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Imagine if all road travel was treated like a race from point A to point B. No stereo, no eating or drinking, no conversation, both hands on the wheel, 100% iron clad focus. Helmet, gloves, HANS device seats, roll cage. Road toll and travel times would be a lot lower.

Have you been stalking me sounds like me on my way to work

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by trublu

If this what it takes to stop people using mobiles I'm for it, no excuses for the offenders.

You want a real deterrent?, confiscate their phones for a month!

[simon varley]

if it's important enough to increase the demerit points over Christmas then it's important enough to keep them at that level all year.

Vic may be crap in many ways when it comes to road rules, but at least we don't have double demerits (and we do have footpath motorcycle parking )

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

You want a real deterrent?, confiscate their phones for a month!

Even better confiscate the car with the phone!

[damo76]

Originally Posted by trublu

Even better confiscate the car with the phone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBRYBFacl1E
This would be better.

[irish2]

I dislike distracted drivers as much as the next person. The problem as I see it is the massive and long term focus on speed, that has people totally believing they are safe if they obey the magic sign. Driving in Europe there are a **** load more police on the road, and they speed like crazy. There are almost no dim wits though.

[GCRXR6]

Originally Posted by irish2

I dislike distracted drivers as much as the next person. The problem as I see it is the massive and long term focus on speed, that has people totally believing they are safe if they obey the magic sign. Driving in Europe there are a **** load more police on the road, and they speed like crazy. There are almost no dim wits though.

When they crash in Europe though .....they crash...boy, do they crash.

[GT0132]

Only over Christmas?....Make it permanent and put it in the same league as drink driving.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by GT0132

Only over Christmas?....Make it permanent and put it in the same league as drink driving.

It's double demerits over xmas, then after xmas the demerits will go from 3 to 4, at double demerits a P plater will lose his/her license on the spot, but probably still will not stop them.

[qdda5]

Smash the idiots . I hate people that use mobiles without hands free. They deserve everything they get imo. Bought all my kids hands free for there cars and at minimal cost too. Far cheaper than the fines being handed out. Maybe that should be part of the fine. No driving until car has an adequate hands free system installed.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by qdda5

No driving until car has an adequate hands free system installed.

That doesn't stop the texting which is even worse. How many times nowadays you see drivers in front at the lights looking down and then not going when the light turns green. You know what they're doing and many try to keep doing it while they're driving. You need some technology that disables the comms functions of the phone except wireless talk.

[simon varley]

I've thought about that, but what about passengers? the focus is a big enough pita when sync2 disables some functions when moving so even the passenger can't use them but why should passengers be penalised on phone use?

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by new2ford

You need some technology that disables the comms functions of the phone except wireless talk.

My phone already does this. It knows when I'm driving and will read text's to me.

I haven't used it yet, but I assume that I can talk back to send a return text.

[Express]

There are a couple of countries in Europe where even handsfree is banned and the phones cannot be switched on and used unless the vehicle is stationary with the engine off.

There are also countries who are currently reviewing their laws to also possibly implement total bans on in car usage.

There are also countries in Europe where SatNav can’t be set while the vehicle is in motion.

Some owners of Euro cars will see the warnings that using their navigation may be illegal in some instances, I know my Merc warns me every time I start it.

In fact Mercedes disables the input use of SatNav while the car is in motion in some countries.

I’ve seen on television where the police use scanners to detect when the vehicle drives by if devices like phones are switched on.