John Williamson: Our penalties for road and traffic offences are outdated

Traffic fines and penalties need updating if we're truly sincere about saving lives, says columnist John Williamson.

OPINION

Almost 11 years ago I, as a Whangārei district councillor, took a notice of motion to council, calling to ”authorise parking wardens to issue tickets for vehicles lacking up-to-date warrant of fitness or registration stickers”.

This was to bring Whangārei District Council into line with other New Zealand councils, and the purpose was also to force drivers of illegal and/or unsafe vehicles to take action. Owners of such vehicles would be warned to fix in 14 days or cop a $200 fine.

The issue was fiercely debated and eventually passed by a 9-5 majority and came into effect on July 1, 2013. Because this was a non-budgeted item in the council plan, it had its own revenue line. I watched with fascination as the first six months yielded $500,000 in fine revenue, with the final year’s tally being $800,000. Not all of that was collected, but it did indicate the extent of the issue in Whangārei.

There were some unintended consequences. Later that year, an out-of-town family member was rejoicing at finding a free CBD carpark on the top of the John St carpark. However, when he returned a couple of hours later, he found his late-model car had a $200 ticket for an expired WOF. You sometimes forget about these things with new cars, but I did thank him for his contribution to council coffers.

He’s probably lucky it was only $200 because that fine was set in 1999, along with all the other traffic fines and penalties, for those violating of our road laws. Anyone who bought a house in 1999 will be celebrating the present value of about three times what it was worth then. Inflation over the past 25 years has meant what you bought for $1 in 1999 will cost you $1.82 today.

It is reasonable to expect that the cost as a fine for doing something against the law on our roads should at least be reviewed more frequently than 25 years. The $200 would be close to $400 today and you might take a bit more notice of the violation. Also, New Zealand’s transport-related infringement penalties and fines are ridiculously out of line internationally.

Last year a family member returned home from a Brisbane holiday, to a photograph and fine notice for $1050 for incorrectly wearing a seatbelt. In New Zealand that would be $150. Cellphone driving in New Zealand cops you $150 plus 20 demerits, in Queensland that could be $1150. Red light running in Australia costs $412, in the UK $1973, in Norway $1155, and we slap them with a paltry $150. It seems the political mantra of getting tough on crime does not extend to traffic offenders.

The cost of everything else in our roading system more than reflects the cost of inflation. The cost blow-outs in Transmission Gully and Northern Gateway are well documented, and the legal issues relating to the former are ongoing.

However, in a surprise report last year, NZ Transport Agency hiked the value it places on a human life from $4.85 million to $12.5m. This means all roading projects have this statistical value of a life saved, on the benefit side of the benefit-cost ratio. We value the potential to save lives hugely in new projects, but we fine those whose driving behaviour could take lives such an inconsequential amount.

Politicians have been talking about reviewing our traffic fines and penalties system for years now, but they all seem timid about public backlash. Isn’t it time we got real about how we charge law-breaking drivers with the cost of their bad driving? Those lives saved do not just have a statistical value. They have a continuing lifelong value to their families and communities, and are real people as well.