New penalty for using phone while driving
THE state government has increased the penalty for drivers using their phone while behind the wheel, making NSW the toughest jurisdiction in the country.
NSW
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PEOPLE caught using their phones while driving will be slapped with a harsh new penalty.
The state government has increased the number of demerit points a driver will lose from four to five, making NSW the state with the toughest penalty for this offence.
Roads Minister Melinda Pavey said the tough new measure meant a driver who was caught texting during a period of double-demerit point, such as Christmas holidays, could lose their licence.
“If you think about long weekends or double demerit periods — you could actually be at risk of losing your licence,” she said.
A recent RMS survey found 74 per cent of people supported a crackdown on illegal phone use by drivers.
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“We all see it and the community has had enough,” Mrs Pavey said.
“We have already introduced legislation to enable camera-based technology so it can be used to enforce mobile phone offences in the future, a world first.”
In February the government launched the Road Safety Plan 2021 and said they were reviewing driving penalties.
Roads Minister Melinda Pavey yesterday told The Daily Telegraph the definition of “drug” in the Road Transport Act was being broadened to ensure people caught driving while impaired by “new and emerging” drugs, including pharmaceuticals, can be charged with driving under the influence.
“We want to stay ahead of a bell curve that’s constantly changing. Ice has been around a decade but where was it 20 years ago, where was crack 30 years ago?” Ms Pavey said.
An awareness campaign about the risks of driving while on prescription medication will also be launched for GPs, pharmacists and the public.
Meanwhile all patients in the Opioid Treatment Program will now have to pass a fitness-to-drive assessment when they start treatment, when their dose is “substantially increased” and when a patient is identified as high-risk of impaired driving.
The government paid KPMG more than $180,000 to review the rules around prescription medication and driving in NSW in the wake of Home And Away star Jessica Falkholt’s death. Ms Falkholt, her sister and parents died when a driver who’d just left a methadone clinic smashed into their car on the NSW South Coast in December.
KEY POINTS:
Demerit point rise from four to five for illegal phone use behind the wheel
It will have the toughest demerit point penalty for this offence in the country when changes come into effect in September 2018
Road Safety Advertising — develop a new strategy to drive campaigns based on positive messaging
Strengthen guidelines for the Opioid Treatment Program, new training for prescribers, new communication about rights and responsibilities for doctors and patients
Change to the definition of ‘drug’ in the Road Safety Act to ensure offenders driving while impaired by a broad range of new and emerging drugs can be charged under the influence