old.sparkles

I don't understand the thumps down. Since you have pointed out how bad Aussie drivers are - surely you would welcome anything that will encourage them to drive better?

PaulandNic

Revenue raising!

PaulandNic

Not possible, but just keeping left would be a start!

spouse of scouse

I like seeing cops patrolling on bikes or in cars. It has the immediate effect of everyone actually obeying the road rules. Wish there were more!

PaulandNic

of people slamming on the brakes and almost causing a 3 car pile up is what I see today ...

Meanwhile I was just cruising past on me empty left hand lane! ...

Scot_expat

What GRINDS MY GEARS HAHA, are not the speed cameras (can pick them out a mile away) buuuuuuut THESE!!! (undercover Highway Patrol) granted they may get high risk traffic offenders, but now days 1 in 6 police cars I see in QLD are actually marked. The amount of money they spend on undercover police cars here in QLD is unreal.... (couldn't imagine how much they generate in revenue).

Whilst I believe doing 120km/hr is wrong and you should be caught (because you only arrive at your destination marginally quicker) I feel if they stick about 15 actual MARKED HWP cars on the major motorways in QLD, people will generally address there driving accordingly and we wont see driver frustration.

If I ever see a fully marked patrol car, I always turtle neck it and triple check my speedo. So in conclusion IMO undercovers are revenue raisers.

True story my sister went driving in mount Tamborine last weekend and saw police intercepting a car using... wait for it... a black Hilux WITH a horse trailer on the back, the horse trailer even had LED lighting on it. The extremities the QPS go to... further more, it was baiting her on the way down deliberately going under the speed limit to get her to overtake and catch my sister for speeding. Luckily she's smart















THIS IS WHAT THEY NEED MORE OF ON THE ROAD TO ENCOURAGE SAFE DRIVING, BUT WE ALL REALIZE THERE IS NO REVENUE IN THAT

Scot_expat

The other thing i'm not fond of either is ANPR, but that is a different story:

old.sparkles

I'm not gonna quote the previous post - too long but I'm not sure I would agree. People who drive badly often do as PaulandNic points out and over brake when seeing marked cars or fixed cameras. However, if it is widely publisized that there are a large number of unmarked cars waiting to catch you doing something stupid then you are going to look at all cars as potential speed cameras / police cars and hopefully drive better.

At the end of the day, even if they are raising revenues, people need to drive responsibly and obey the laws of the road. I for one fully support getting bad drivers to subsidise the economy rather than just cost us all money when they crash and we have to pay for the emergency services to attend.

PaulandNic

I can't disagree with any of above.

I've seen the Blue Commodore & Golf GTI on the M1 heaps of times. Pulled over behind another car they're ticketing, but can't say I'd drop from me 120KPH (114 true speed) when overtaking em tho! ...

chris955

Exactly, that is all it is plain and simple. If they targetted drivers actually driving badly rather than hiding behind trees fining someone doing 104 in a 100 zone they would get respect from the general public but while they are looked at as revenue raisers for the Government they will not be respected.

old.sparkles

Sorry - which driving laws do you obey , not obey and which do you class as 'nice-to-haves'?

chris955

Scot_expat, on the subject of the Police baiting drivers a few years ago and probably even now cops on Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious would drive slowly up and down the mountain in various unmarked cars trying to get bikes for speeding or overtaking on double lines etc. They would slow down to such a speed that the rider had little choice but to overake and would get pulled over. There is no way that sort of thing is anything but revenue raising.

bingobob777

cower of shunts, the lot of them

I'm departing these beautiful shores in 2 weeks, in the full knowledge that I've been through ther airport tunnel 8 times in the last 2 weeks without a pass.

I've gained 11 points in 20 months here, I got 3 points in 17 year in the UK. In the UK i worked on construction and drove 3 x more as well.

old.sparkles

Which all goes to prove you've been very lucky in the UK.

Simple answer - if you don't like points, don't break the law!!

chris955

Unfortunately it isnt hard to get points driving in Australia for the most ridiculous things. My brother once got fined for not coming to an absolute total standstill at a stop sign, he reckons he was doing around 1 kph, ok I realise one or two may say the law is the law but when you are fined and get points for that it is very clearly the law really is an ass. I have a few friends in the Police force in Queensland and even they dont like Highway Patrol.