The authorities in Australia have developed a new law that is expected to come into in September 1st. The law is designed to control the amount of reckless driving and to increase the overall road traffic and safety. The new law that has been approved nationally and within the states now has a more punitive approach at drivers and the rules related to sign posting, divider line crossings, lane keeping, and driving and over set speed in designated areas. It aims to reduce accident and death cases in developed urban environment and in the rural areas. Ensure that the writeup sounds as if it has been captured from a newspaper
The Rules of The Law
The new law states that any driver that is caught in the process of drifting their vehicle into any lane marked with a solid line, lane keeping in the emergency lane, a designated emergency lane, or bordered by any other line and drifting or driving over them to any lane of the road, will immediately bear the fixed penalty of $380. There will also be automated systems set in place that will capture non-compliant vehicles such as at school and construction zones that will capture vehicles and specialized cameras non-compliant with the law to send violation notice directly to the vehicle owner.
Motivation and Evidence
As explained by the officials implementing the program, they are deeply concerned about the safety on our roads: over the last five years the number of roadside ‘driving into the lane of oncoming traffic’ incidents has been correlated with 12% increase of side impact collisions on major highways. In counteraction, the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development cites a report in which similar punishments in other countries showed a drastic decrease in dangerous behavior within 6 months of enforcement.
Opinions of the General Public and the Experts
On the general public side, reaction to the new fine has been lukewarm. Advocators of road safety have justified the government’s decision as an important part of the new road safety policy, claiming that harsher punishments need to be enforced to guarantee compliance to the rules. In contrast, some commuter groups and regional trucking associations are of the opinion that the new penalty of $380 is way too harsh for the infraction being committed.
Enforcement and Appeal Process
In the interest of preserving fairness in the system, a detailed appeals process has been made available for drivers who have been wrongly accused of the offense. Contesting drivers whose work-proof has these types of documents dash cam video, GPS logs, etc. will have 28 days from the date of issuance of the infringement notice.
Implications for Daily Commuters
Daily drivers will have to put deeper concentration and focus for the new regulation. Commuters are advised to reposition the settings of in-vehicle safety apparatus, engage lane-keeping assistance when available, and better reacquaint themselves with road surface markings. Similarly, ride-hailing and delivery companies are enhancing their defensive driving training to ensure professional drivers are aware of the existence of and the potential $380 fines.