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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-23 Daily Xml
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ROAD TRAFFIC (TRAFFIC SPEED ANALYSERS) AMENDMENT BILL

Second Reading

Second reading debate resumed.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:01): I rise too to support the member for Fisher's Road Traffic (Traffic Speed Analysers) Amendment Bill 2011, and I concur with the comments made by the members for Chaffey and Frome. As fellow regional members, we certainly see what happens on our highways and our local roads as far as traffic management is concerned, and the operation of speed cameras and laser devices in our areas. Sadly, it seems that there is only a blitz after there is a terrible accident, as happens all too often on the Dukes Highway down through my area. I also note some of the tragedies of the last few weeks that we have had on our roads, and it is far too many people who are succumbing to our road toll.

I also argue that, with laser devices or speed cameras, people only realise after the event that they have committed an offence. We do not have the signs by the road anymore to say they have been through. I think there should be a bigger effort put on education of drivers. I do not condone speeding; speeding is dangerous, but we do need to make sure that people are aware of what can happen.

I know that some of the local schools in my electorate have mock accidents, and they bring in all the services. They bring in the Ambulance Service, the Country Fire Service and the local police, and that really brings it to the students' attention as to what can happen. When they see the simulated display of a grieving parent, with the simulation of a dead student on the road with mock blood splattered all over them, I think it really does bring the message home that speeding does kill, and also issues with regard to drink-driving or drug driving. You can certainly be killed, or kill someone else.

Too many times we hear stories of accidents where, sadly, people have been killed. Sometimes the driver is the only person who survives, and they have to suffer the guilt; it is a big enough tragedy in itself, but they have to wear that for the rest of their lives. I certainly have sympathy for the victims, but it must be a terrible toll on the people who are caught up in these kinds of accidents. We need better education for drivers in all matters of drug driving, drink-driving, speeding and just general safety on our roads.

As I indicated earlier, it seems that well after the event people get a notice in the mail, 'You've been picked up on a laser device here,' or, 'You've been picked up on a speed camera device there.' It did not slow down the person at that point in time, although certainly it might in the future with the increase in penalties. The government has budgeted around $48 million in this budget on speeding fine revenue, and that is going up, it seems, with every budget.

We also need some protection for people so that they can question the veracity of the instruments being used, and they should be made to be regulated against an Australian standard. I understand at the moment they are tested by the internal police operations, and I cannot see why there should be a problem with some independent testing on these devices to make sure that they operate effectively.

The member for Fisher indicated that significant amendments are being drafted to come forward in line with this motion. I urge the parliament to consider these amendments and see that we get this bill through the house in the appropriate manner.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mrs Geraghty.

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