Ministry proposes changes to driving fines

The work to make changes to the penalties for motorists is behind schedule. Photo: SunLive.

The Ministry of Transport has sent the government its advice on changing penalties and fines for motorists, including for speeding.

Fines have gone largely unaltered for two decades.

While changes to the penalties regime have been in the works for three years, so far only the fine for using a cellphone while driving has gone up, from $80 to $150 last year.

The changes were heralded as one of 15 "initial actions" of the Road to Zero strategy's first action plan in 2019, but Covid-19 caused delays.

"This work is behind the schedule ... although the successful delivery of this action is not at risk," the Road to Zero monitoring report out recently says.

Today, the Ministry of Transport says it has provided advice to Transport Minister Michael Wood "on a package of proposals and a consultation approach".

It will wait to see what Cabinet has to say then consult the public, which could take two months, it says.

The government has stressed the changes must be fair.

There is speculation there will be more use of demerit points, or that the size of a fine could be linked to a person's income.

The ministry is also looking at "alternative enforcement pathways to support equitable outcomes", the R2Z report says.

"This will enable a penalties regime that will leverage the contribution penalties can make to improving road safety outcomes, while reducing the potential for increased hardship and further non-compliance."

Authorities worry that fines, and penalties on top if they are not paid, can lead people into the criminal justice system.

Any changes should work in with the strategy's actions "such as higher levels of road policing, or greater levels of safety-camera deployment", the report says.

Enforcement of the road rules is now accepted to be a central factor for road safety.

Police have repeatedly admitted in recent months they had not been doing enough regarding enforcement, and are promising to do more.

Research has found a direct link between the rate of alcohol breath testing and the number of serious crashes, with a report warning reduced enforcement in New Zealand appeared linked to a turnaround upwards in road deaths and serious injuries.

"A reasonable explanation is that reduced resourcing of the enforcement allows a greater number of vulnerable drivers on the road network," a 2019 report in the Journal of Safety Research says.

-RNZ/Phil Pennington.

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11 comments

Tauranga city

Posted on 10-08-2022 10:25 | By Kancho

Does any road policing actually happen in Tauranga? Speed restrictions on Pyes Pa road seem to have made little difference for many who still travel at the previous 60 or even the 70 before that . Never seen any cameras or anything perhaps the same in lots of areas except Links Ave etc Papamoa.


2 wet tram tickets?

Posted on 10-08-2022 10:31 | By First Responder

Fines for mobile phone use in NZ are pathetic. In NSW, it's $360, and $480 in a school zone. Wouldn't that make you think twice about phone use.


Hmmm

Posted on 10-08-2022 10:45 | By Let's get real

Still won't make the worst offends change their attitudes. We all make mistakes. How does increasing fines improve driving abilities or attitudes...? We're now going to be discriminated against by income and skin colour.


All about revenue

Posted on 10-08-2022 11:53 | By The Professor

This is all about increasing the amount of revenue collected. The Government and authorities don't really care about safety - if they did, why wouldn't they just issue points. Fines don't stop most people because they can comfortably afford them - they don't worry me. Get to 100 points and not being able to drive is far worse than any loss of money. Councils should also stop reducing speed limits just for the sheer hell of it or because a few people perceive limits to be too high in a specific area. Our roads have become safer over the decades - not worse. Stats presented to us do not include the increase in the number of vehicles on the roads or the increase in number of journeys made. Let's see the real facts please. As for the R2Z - what a complete waste of money.


Agree...

Posted on 10-08-2022 12:00 | By This Guy

That fines should be be linked to a person's income. Its no deterrent if the fine is "pocket change" to you.


It's interesting...

Posted on 10-08-2022 21:35 | By groutby

...that with such a ridiculous proposal being considered, but so likely as it was from a RNZ column...and as 'The Professor' suggests, the 'authorities' worry only about increasing revenue and their job retention, nothing more and nothing less..... 'Road to Zero'?...what a joke....


Really?

Posted on 11-08-2022 06:28 | By Thats Nice

"Linked to a persons income". What next?


How?

Posted on 11-08-2022 12:05 | By Yadick

How will a person's real income be proved, eg a gang member on the benefit, living very comfortably off the proceeds of crime as a opposed to a family provider honestly on the benefit having just been made redundant?


Fines linked to income.

Posted on 11-08-2022 14:39 | By morepork

I thought about this and I reckon it is a REALLY good idea. It is certainly fairer. And there is the further discouragement for law breaking that you will now have to disclose your income as well as pay a chunk of it... It is a violation of your rights and a further encroachment on your freedom, but nobody seems to worry about that any more, and the stated preference of the current Government is to abolish Democracy. Of course, this would be for our own good...


morepork

Posted on 13-08-2022 18:13 | By This Guy

You know you're already supposed to disclose your income to the government in order to meet your tax obligations right?Also do you think you should be allowed to break the law without consequence because you feel the law is an "encroachment on your freedom" ?? or just that the law shouldn't matter to you if you're rich enough?? because those attitudes should be more worrying to people than a millionaire having to pay a larger fine for speeding (a fine that might actually work as a deterrent, instead of being less than a minor inconvenience)


@This Guy

Posted on 14-08-2022 14:16 | By morepork

My response was not entirely serious but I do take your point. Disclosure to IRD is supposed to be private and the NZTA currently do not get your income details... But my real bitch is that nobody seems to mind the dismantling of our rights... We are kind of inured to it by the current administration.


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