Opinion: Doing something stupid in your car? It’s time to pay the price.
There’s so much stupidity on our roads. I think it’s time for our road rules to monetise the morons
Hands up if you’ve ever done something stupid in your car?
I’d expect to see a near 100 per cent strike-rate here. Yours truly included.
Now put your hand down if you’ve reflected on this and adjusted your behaviour to be less foolhardy.
Still have your hand up? What if you could be issued a fine, a decent one, for simply being an idiot? Would that change your approach? I’d want to hope so.
Road rules governance in Australia, especially in Victoria, is very much a stick-over-carrot approach to keeping drivers in line. Where the activity is measurable (like speeding) or easy to police (holding your phone), the tolerances are low and the fines are steep.
Is it a bit unfair? Maybe. But does it make you adjust your behaviour? Absolutely.
But I don’t think we’re there yet.
There’s still an awful lot of straight-up stupidity happening on our roads. Things that are technically in contravention of the Road Safety Act, but carry little to no penalty, with even less emphasis on enforcement.
And while the states can’t seem to get a better handle on adequately preparing and training new drivers, perhaps they need a bigger stick for the ones they have.
Here’s an example for you.
A driver of a modern car with bright LED running lamps, driving around at night with only said LEDs active. That means a wash of blue-white light in front, but nothing from behind.
Driving without your lights on carries a ‘three-penalty-unit’ fine in Victoria, but I think in some specific cases we take this further and add a stupidity multiplier.
The Venn diagram of cars with bright LED running lamps and an AUTOMATIC headlamp setting is basically a circle. If you own a car with auto headlamps, and you TURN THIS OFF for whatever reason and drive around at night with nothing but those running lamps and good old fashioned ignorance lighting the way… you’re an idiot and need a tougher penalty.
Drive for a living as a taxi or a ride-share provider, the financial deterrent needs to be higher again. After all, this means you workplace is unsafe for you and others.
Run out of petrol on a major freeway during peak hour and cause a 10,000 car gridlocked jam? If you’ve consciously tried to eke a few more drops of unleaded before filling up, you should have to deal with a stupidity summons.
Trying to do a U-turn in front of a bus or tram, and potentially risking injury to more than just your blinkered ego, you deserve a much harsher penalty than the three demerit points this normally attracts.
Blocking intersections because you thought you could fit across the other side? Float away by assuming your hatchback can make it through an identifiably flooded roadway? It’s the Muppet Tax for you.
But James, you say, people can be forgetful. Mistakes can be made.
And yes, I get it. As with all traffic fines and penalties, there needs to be a layer of discretion and appeal, but if you have made pig-headed choices that lead to a highly avoidable outcome, the responsibility is entirely on you.
For example, not knowing your automatic headlights aren’t on their automatic setting is not something anyone else can help you with. It’s your car. It’s your obligation to the rest of us that you pay attention and do everything properly before setting off.
Same with checking your fuel gauge before heading jauntily into a busy freeway tunnel. Same with using your mirrors. Same with judging all the traffic conditions around you. Same, same, same… you are responsible.
So don’t be an idiot.
In turn, I also suggest that a bigger stick, on one hand, is balanced by a bigger carrot on the other.
Drive safely and conscientiously all year, and there should be a rebate or discount on your registration fees. For every stupidity penalty applied, an equal incentive benefit can be shared by others.
This way, our moron multiplier is not a revenue generation stream, but instead an encouragement to be a better driver.
After all, isn’t that what we all want?
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