More hoon drivers caught speeding each day in South Australia despite significant fine increases in excess of $550
A State Government vow to target hoon drivers has not deterred the dangerous behaviour as new figures show more each day are caught putting themselves and others at risk.
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Significant fine increases in excess of $550 have failed to put the brakes on hoon drivers who are being caught more frequently endangering lives on South Australian roads.
Police figures analysed by The Advertiser show 905 drivers were caught travelling at least 30km/h above the speed limit during the first six months of this financial year.
This is despite a 60 per cent speeding fine increase for drivers caught 30km/h to 44km/h, and by 45km/h or more, above the limit being introduced on July 1 last year.
There were 814 drivers fined or cautioned during the same period in 2018 and 873 between July 1 and December 31, 2017.
The state’s peak motoring body warns that fines in isolation are “not the magic bullet” to reduce the alarming number of motorists driving at dangerous speeds.
Increased speeding fines were introduced as part of the State Budget in a bid to address what Treasurer Rob Lucas described as “brainless idiots and hoons thumbing their nose at the law”.
Police Minister Corey Wingard also declared the State Government would “go after” speeding drivers amid a concerning spike in road deaths last year.
The fine for speeding between 30km/h and 44km/h was raised from $920 to $1472 and from $1036 to $1658 for those caught travelling 45km/h or more above the limit.
Mr Wingard told The Advertiser penalties for hoon driving were “tough” and it was up to the courts to administer them.
“People need to take responsibility for their behaviour on the roads. It’s clear that those who choose to get behind the wheel and drive like idiots have little regard for anyone,” he said.
“I’m glad police are catching more of them and the warning is clear if you drive like this you’ll be caught.”
But RAA safety and infrastructure senior manager Charles Mountain said increasing fines may not necessarily affect driver behaviour.
“It’s very alarming that motorists continue to put their lives and those of other people at risk by driving at such dangerous speeds,” Mr Mountain said.
“However, financial penalties in isolation are not the magic bullet to reducing this type of offending.
“It’s vitally important to emphasise to drivers the potential for catastrophic outcomes of high level speeding as a way of deterring such reckless behaviour.”
Mr Mountain said there needed to be an emphasis on education for school students before they learnt to drive, businesses employing professional drivers and advertising campaigns.
Among the worst speeding offences between July 1 and December 31 last year include:
A HOLDEN station wagon driver caught travelling 92km/h above the 60km/h speed limit in Adelaide’s southern suburbs.
A TOYOTA station wagon driver clocked at 201km/h in a 110km/h zone in the Barossa Valley.
A MAZDA sedan driver doing 90km/h above the 80km/h speed limit in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
Traffic Services Branch officer-in-charge Superintendent Bob Gray said speeding was a contributing factor in serious injury and fatal crashes.
“The risk of a casualty crash approximately doubles with each 5km/h increase in speed on a 60km/h road or with each 10km/h increase in speed on higher speed rural roads,” he said.
Supt Gray said police supported any changes that aimed to make SA roads safer and reduced the number of lives lost and serious injuries.
Originally published as More hoon drivers caught speeding each day in South Australia despite significant fine increases in excess of $550