Shadow Minister for Primary Industries & Water, Shadow Minister for Police & Emergency Services, Shadow Minister for Parks & Wildlife, Shadow Minister for Local Government

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01
Jun

Liberals’ plan to reduce road accidents

2009

While plans to increase the penalty for not wearing a seatbelt indicate that at least the State Government is aware that there is a problem on our roads, it is not nearly enough to bring about change.
Increasing the penalty won’t bring about a reduction in the road toll, because there simply aren’t enough police on our roads to enforce the law and make the deterrent meaningful.

The Tasmanian Liberals have been pleading with the State Government to introduce high visibility police patrol cars on our roads. While the State Government has indicated it is considering the idea, recent leaks show that the police budget will be slashed and the Police Association has indicated that as many as 20 police cars may be taken off the road as a result.

Taking police cars off the roads to save a few bucks is a false economy. The result of such a misguided, visionless policy will be more accidents, which costs our health system and causes misery in our community.

The State Government needs to immediately introduce the Tasmanian Liberals’ road safety policy:
• High visibility police patrol cars
• Double demerit points on public holidays and long weekends
• Compulsory driver education for all drivers who lose their licence
• Permanent speed cameras at our most dangerous black spots
• Impounding the cars of dangerous drivers, or drivers with repeat offences, not just hoons