Failed laws !

" Those who fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it "

Once upon a time a wise person thought that imposing demerit points on drivers who speed would be a way of curbing the practice. Unfortunately politicians - in their never ending quest for voter approval - extended this penalty until now just about any offence that warrants a fine also includes the loss of demerit points - leading to many driving license cancellations.

The by-product of this extension is a huge increase in unlicensed drivers - and any vehicle driven by an unlicensed driver is not covered by insurance.
The end result is misery and grave financial loss for law abiding members of the community.

In a state with abysmal public transport for some families the car is the only way for the bread winner to get to work - or for the children to get to school. With or without a license - the only option is to keep on driving.

Now there is a proposal to confiscate the cars of P plate drivers who are caught exceeding the speed limit by twenty kilometres per hour or more.

There is also the suggestion of crushing confiscated cars of repeat offenders.

This is the first step on a very slippery slope. At first glance speeding twenty kph over the limit sounds a heinous crime - but first we need to have a long, hard look at the tangled traffic laws of this state.

Firstly, the mandatory fifty kph limit in built-up areas must be the most widely ignored speed limit in the country. Suburban traffic continues to follow the old sixty kph regime and imposing the lower limit is ignored by the police.

Then we have the forty kph limit in areas surrounding schools. This is enforced by police, but there are anomalies. At the start of the school year the restriction starts at a time when students are not attending school - which makes absolutely no sense - and is confusing to drivers from homes devoid of small children.

Then there are the streets that for no known reason have a forty kph limit imposed on them. There is even a section of the Princes Highway at Engadine - which is a divided, four lane arterial road that has an almost unbelievable fifty kph section which seems to serve as a state revenue raiser.

One of the outcomes of car confiscation will be a surge in police pursuits and the consequent danger to other road users. Young drivers - and the not so young - fearing loss of their vehicle are likely to try and out run the police in sheer desperation.

There is also the inevitability that politicians will curry public favour by increasing the reasons for confiscation. It happened with demerit points !

By all means seize cars by drivers of any age doing ridiculous speeds - like those caught on the Hume Highway and the F6 travelling at double the posted 110 kph limit.

But forget the idea of a special law for " P " platers doing exactly what the average driver considers a safe speed - but unlawful because of contrary and confusing posted speed limits.

Otherwise - history will repeat itself !