The New South Wales government has modified the driver's demerit point system to give relief to those marginally over the limit. From July 1, full license drivers speeding up to ten kph over the limit will only lose one demerit point - and attract an $ 84 fine.
The move was in response to drivers complaining that an excess of just one or two kph over the limit was threatening licenses - and that many car speedometers were not capable of accurately measuring such speeds. it was also claimed that fitting items such as low profile tyres resulted in a difference between speedometer and actual car speeds.
This relief does not apply to those on provisional licenses - and in fact the heavy hand of the law has increased the penalty count for P2 drivers by an additional one demerit point.
P2 drivers will now automatically lose their license on a second offence - and P1 drivers the first time they are detected over the limit.
This seems to fly in the face of sheer logic.
If a fixed speed camera policing a school area detects two drivers a single kph over the 40 kph limit - the penalty differs widely. The full license holder loses a single point. A P2 driver is half way to losing his or her license - and a P1 driver can no longer drive a car.
That is incredibly harsh treatment of the provisional driver. It means that those on a provisional license must at all times drive several kph under the posted speed limit to be certain that they will not inadvertently break the law - and put their license in jeopardy !
Speeding fines and loss of points increase as the degree of speeding over the limit increases - and this is fair. What is not fair is to impose an impossible degree of accuracy on provisional license holders.
The government is acting because it agrees that the points system was excessive for minor infringements. It is hard to justify justice for some - when that is not justice for all !
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