1 in 10 Drivers Illegal

[subalex]

How's this for the latest statistic I heard earlier this week.

One in ten drivers on the road is driving illegally. They might be without a licence, disqualified, suspended, drunk, stoned etc...




Now there's something I'm disgusted by right there. However we want to look at it, it suggests that one in ten of us here on this forum drive illegally. I've never driven unlicenced. I had a collision with a suspended driver in January of this year. When I was growing up, the father of one of my mates had been driving for 25 years without a licence! Other than that, I haven't known anyone, and would be disappointed by, driving illegally like that. So many forget or ignore the road rules, that's bad enough, but not even bothering to follow the law re: being licenced is a rejection of responsibility. Driving a car is a privilege and not a right.

If this statistic is for real then the RTA and Police have a bigger problem on their hands than I thought.

 

[Kevin]

I believe it - I just wish those other 9 drivers would get off the road! :lol:

 

[JG12gauge]

Ive been driving around my neighborhood ever since I was 8 but its a little bit different since were way out in the country. The cops never even come out here but when they do as long as yer not causing trouble they dont mind.

 

[joel.dedman]

That is disappointing! 1 in 10! The problem with threatening to take licenses from offenders is it doesn't stop some people from continuing to drive. If someone is caught driving without a license, throw them in jail and re educate them under police guard. Technically speaking, they are using a potential weapon. I'd imagine people have been sent to jail for using a gun without a license. I don't see there being much of a difference.

I feel it has a lot to do with a loss of respect in all areas of our society, as well as not taking responsibility for one's actions.

Regards,

Joel

 

[mr turbo]

1 in 10 drivers illegal. That doesn't surprise me at all.

The problem with threatening to take licenses from offenders is it doesn't stop some people from continuing to drive.

I totally agree with you on that also.
Even when they seize your car (for more serious driving offences) some people will just go & get into another car & drive that one instead, so you just can't win.

As what was said earlier, if the law was toughened up & these people were put in jail for a while, then it might send them the message.

Regards
Mr Turbo

 

[joel.dedman]

I agree to get tough on laws. While slightly off topic, I also feel that with street racing, the government should impound a car on first offense. Crush it for the 2nd offense. Come to think about it, if someone is jailed for driving unlicensed, and then choose to drive unlicensed after their sentence, their car should be crushed also. If it's not their car, impound it, and still crush the unlicensed drivers car (if they own one). Teach those allowing unlicensed drivers not to lend their car to unlicensed drivers.

Regards,

Joel

 

[yarney]

1 in 10 drivers illegal. That doesn't surprise me at all.



I totally agree with you on that also.
Even when they seize your car (for more serious driving offences) some people will just go & get into another car & drive that one instead, so you just can't win.

As what was said earlier, if the law was toughened up & these people were put in jail for a while, then it might send them the message.

Regards
Mr Turbo

I agree to get tough on laws. While slightly off topic, I also feel that with street racing, the government should impound a car on first offense. Crush it for the 2nd offense. Come to think about it, if someone is jailed for driving unlicensed, and then choose to drive unlicensed after their sentence, their car should be crushed also. If it's not their car, impound it, and still crush the unlicensed drivers car (if they own one). Teach those allowing unlicensed drivers not to lend their car to unlicensed drivers.

Regards,

Joel

I also agree but they still make it easy by allowing them to pay there fines off so they can still go about without any inconvenience just pay $20 a week.

Jan

 

[joel.dedman]

I also agree but they still make it easy by allowing them to pay there fines off so they can still go about without any inconvenience just pay $20 a week.

They do??? Is that a national thing or a QLD thing? I've never heard of it before. Heck, if you can pay off your fine, at least make them pay 50% deposit.

Regards,

Joel

 

[Aitcho]

This is a sore point amongst some of us I see...

Point to note is that there is little consistency within the system that deliberates punishments. If we had a mandatory sentencing with minimum sentences (punishments) this would alleviate a lot of these issues. And it would have to be a Federal funded program and endorsed, so that offences would count nationwide, not just in one state or territory.

I'm not going to harp on too much, but we all probably know of a person who 'got away with it' or got a slap on the wrist verses a person who copped a severe punishment for a mistake. The inconsistency is what drives me mad....

Cheers

Aitcho.

 

[subalex]

Good points all....

Picking up on what Joel commented:
The guy I had an accident with was only on the road at all because he was driving while suspended. he was old fellow, couldn't speak a word of English and both he and his wife were likely to have been written off themselves had it not been their flimsy old Hyundai Accent's rear end that folded up to protect them. I was at fault in that case, no argument there... however, I was left dazed and confused as to why my insurance company had to pay for the replacement of their car... so this not only counts toward frustration and legal issues, it's also a financial strain we all can live without. He gets a big fine but that's about it... he'll get a new car that he's not supposed to drive. Go figure the justification of that one. As Joel said... his car should have been left to get crushed and that would be that as punishment. It should have been left in the garage in the first place.

 

[Barry]

I think there are two distinct categories of multiple offenders.
First type:
Hoons / idiots / 'ghetto boys' who generally operate outside of most social norms. Don't / won't work, live subsistence, drive cheap, loud fast 10 year old cars, lowered, loud exhausts and bald tyres. Crush the car and they will have another as soon as they can raise $2,000. Jail is more an inevitability rather than a threat to them.
Not sure there is any solution to this situation - there is no way we can go back and undo the dismantling of so much industry that started with the deregulation of the 1980s and the asset striping by big companies. The politics / economics that gave the developed world the demise of cities like Detroit created generations without a 'stake' in the economy. Less drastic in Australia, but the same general situation exists, in that the 'basic' jobs are just no longer there for those who need them.
Second type:
Old timers who shouldn't be driving. The reason they do is that our cities are set up for motorists. Public transport is inadequate and unsafe much of the time as well. If they didn't drive they would be both old AND imprisoned in their homes. In fact, many wouldn't be able to continue living at home.
Just imagine if you had to do your weekly shopping without your car. (I'm lucky, I'm one block from the supermarket and 2 blocks from neighbourhood centre, but most aren't.)
Small wonder that some old blokes suicide when told they are to lose their licence.
It is in all our interests to lobby for better and safer public transport, so that we don't have this dilemma when we are old.
(Sorry for the *rant*!)

 

[subalex]

Strangely enough, Barry, my wife and I were both discussing the older generation point of yours on the weekend when we watched an elderly man, barely able to stumble to his car without leaning against both his walking stick and the bonnet of his car. No, he wasn't drunk. He was just on his way from his daily little bit of shopping in the centre. Properly adequate public transport would certainly help to alleviate this tragedy waiting to happen. By the time I'm retiring I'm pretty certain that we'll have both better public transport and the technology to simply get in our cars and tell it where to go. However, until then, the roads will be more dangerous, especially since the roads are far more congested and that leaves less tolerance.

Where I grew up, people don't drive as fast, don't tailgate, don't have to negotiate thousands of traffic lights, drive much worse quality roads and yet don't have as many crashes. You know what, though, I would definitely say there are plenty more stoned, spaced out and retired people up there. Why? Because there's better public transport for those who need it and there's a more relaxed tolerance of each other on the road and a healthy engagement of the driver since the road quality is so much worse. So much more feedback for the driver and less boring straight roads with start/stop bull****.

Sure, I go there on holidays and wish the old slow farts would get off the road but there's so many of them it really makes me feel fast and intolerant in comparison. Yep, I'd love to get back out of Sydney one day and retire in a place like Lismore (Far North Coast, NSW).

As for the other kind of re-offender... you're right in most aspects I think... just that the cost of the car is all relevant in comparison to the income. There are plenty of kids with far too much money. I've taught plenty of kids whose parents buy them new speed boats for their 16th birthday and alike. Then they get handed down their father's "old" (3 years old) BMW as their first car... then they get $1000's of pocket money to spend on just as crappy suspension and body mod's as their Corolla Seca driving counterparts. Their driving style and contempt for others is just as bad too. Yep, crush their car and their mum's and dad's will bail them out with another 2nd hand BMW.

 

[Rally]

Alex, you live in the north west and you reckon there will be better public transport by the time you retire? Ah, optimism is a wonderful thing! I'm not happy about the situation either, but when we all do retire, and are old and weak, if we cannot drive, how will we get about?

 

[joel.dedman]

Offroad Gophers (elderly mobility scooters)! That'd do the trick!

Regards,

Joel

 

[Rally]

Yes, although some retirement homes will not allow them

 

[Kevin]

Strangely enough, Barry, my wife and I were both discussing the older generation point of yours on the weekend when we watched an elderly man, barely able to stumble to his car.

I didn't notice you & your wife (I wish you'd stop talking about me though :biggrin: )