Monday 26 June 2017

Speeding fines rack up to $70 million in the Hunter

BY JAMES WARD

Hunter motorists have racked up over $70 million in speeding fines in the last three years according to recent police statistics.

More than 240 speeding fines are issued out every day by police or by speed cameras pouring around $60,000 a day on average into the state government.

With over 42% of fatalities on our roads due to speeding, authorities are concerned about the growing number of people still speeding.

NRMA Chairman, Kyle Loades, states young male drivers are the highest-risk drivers on our roads and take up a large proportion of speeding offences.

"Young males are the ones doing most of the speeding and it is quite simple they need to slow down and save lives," Loades said.

The state government spends all revenue raised from speeding fines back into road safety initiatives aimed at younger people which Loades strongly supports.

"100% of the fines that are raised go back into road safety initiatives and they are including Black Spot programs and include the Flashy Light program which is now in every school in the Hunter and New South Wales."

Other statistics include over 2600 serious injury crashes occurred during 2011 to 2015 or on average 10 a week costing the economy around $500 million a year.



Image: Steven Georgiadis & Associates