Have Your Say On The Road Safety Debate

[cdm]

It is my hope the moderators will make this a sticky topic, considering that nearly once a week a new topic is started regarding speeding and the government’s revenue raising tactics.

As a forum of enthusiastic car owners I believe we should share our opinions on this matter which affects us daily. Given the amount of members we now have, I believe we have a strong voice for the governments to take notice of.

While ultimately, the members of one forum alone may not be enough, combined with other forums and general public opinion, the governments will have no choice other than to listen, or be booted out...

Instead of sitting on our hands, we must take a proactive approach and contact the minister concerned. After all, they are elected to represent the people and if they are not capable of fulfilling their duties then they do not deserve the position.

Feel free to post a copy of your letter in this thread if you whish, or add any valuable factual data that may help the cause. In addition, those that frequent other forums, I encourage you to start similar threads, or link to this one. Any relevant websites etc are also welcome. Let the revolt begin....

FEDERAL

John Anderson

Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Transport & Regional Services

[email protected]

Senator Ron Boswell

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport & Regional Services

[email protected]

ACT

John Stanhope

Chief Minister

[email protected]

Bill Wood

Minister for Road Services & Transport Authority

[email protected]

NSW

Bob Carr

Premier

[email protected]

Carl Scully

Minister for Roads

[email protected]

Michael Costa

Minister for Transport Services

[email protected]

NT

Claire Martin

Chief Minister

[email protected]

Hon Von Vatskalis

Minister for Transport & Infrastructure

[email protected]

QLD

Peter Beattie

Premier

[email protected]

Steve Bredhauer

Minister for Transport & Main Roads

[email protected]

SA

Michael Rann

Premier

[email protected]

Michael Wright

Minister for Transport

[email protected]

TAS

Jim Bacon

Premier

[email protected]

Jim Cox

Minister for Infrastructure

[email protected]

VIC

Steve Bracks

Premier

[email protected]

Peter Bachelor

Minister for Transport

[email protected]

WA

Geoff Gallop

Premier

[email protected]

Alannah MacTiernan

Minister for Planning & Infrastructure

[email protected]

(Source: Wheels magazine, October 2003)

[KEN 24T]

This is a letter I sent this morning:

Letter to the Minister

So far I have had two responses, 1) saying that my enquiry is being directed to the appropriate department, and 2) the appropriate department requesting my mailing address.

Let's see what comes of this.

[sixfan]

I suggest a contest for the best letter, I'll donate $50 towards the prize for the best letter sent.

[cdm]

Here is a link to a site I think some people might be interested in. It's full of useful information to add to our debate with the polies....

Roadsense

(Source: www.Roadsense.com.au)

[cdm]

"Victoria introduced the 5% tolerance, I.e. 3 km/h over at 60 km/h, and numerous speed cameras to increase their revenue from $90 000 000 in 2002 to $400 000 000 in 2003. They had the highest road toll over Christmas. I wonder how they will justify this or will they use it to say they need more of the same that is not working - even more stringent controls."

(Source: www.roadsense.com.au)

[Falchoon]

I found that I was nearly falling asleep on my recent drive to Melbourne (from Canberra) down the Hume Hwy, trying to stay on the ridiculously low speed limits. I had a good night sleep the night before, started the journey at about 8am (not too early) and had regular breaks. At one stage I was so bored I just floored the car and went up to about 140-150km/h for approximately 20 seconds (long straight dual lanes on dual carriageway with only other xr6turbo members around) and I was immediately refreshed with the addrenalin rush. I didn't spin the wheels or get sideways or create any other type of hazard and I feel what I did was safe, could of even saved my life. Speed kills is absolute bull$hit.

[cdm]

I couldn't agree more. I drove up to Sydney with a friend last year via the Hume in an EF fairmont. Damn was this a mind numbing experience. It just goes on and on and on....Then one minute the road is 90, then 110, then 100, its all over the place and yet one could comfortably sit on this road at 140-150km/h and be far more alert. I personally know, that the few times I have gone this speed, I have had both hands on the wheel, been looking well into the distance and to the sides of the road etc, and have actually been concentrating on the act of driving a vehicle as opposed to reading a speedometer.

If speed killed, their wouldn't be any pilots or race car drivers.

[cdm]

In NSW, the annual road toll has hovered between 500 and 600 deaths per year since the late 1990s. The problem has been highlighted recently by a spate of deaths on the Pacific Highway.

But the association says focusing simply on deaths tells only part of the story: "The recent plateau in the fatality rate . . . seems to have coincided with an increase in the injury rate," the organisation wrote in its submission to the inquiry, and "focusing solely on fatality rates might prove to be misleading, and ultimately detrimental for road safety planning".

The association also says that, based on the national targets, only three jurisdictions have road tolls lower than expected by 2003 -- the ACT, Western Australia and Tasmania.

It says more attention needs to be given to making roads safer and "more forgiving".

(Source: www.Drive.com.au, November 3, 2003)

[KEN 24T]

Another response:

Mr Ken Boyle

e-mail: [email protected]

Dear Mr Boyle

Thank you for your letter of 3 November 2003 to the Chief Minister Jon Stanhope MLA, regarding motoring speed policies in New South Wales in the ACT.

Mr Stanhope has asked me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter and to advise you that your comments have been noted and your letter passed to the responsible ACT Minister, the Minister for Urban Services, Mr Bill Wood MLA, for his consideration.

Again, thank you for bringing your views on this matter to the Government's attention.

Yours sincerely

Greg Friedewald

Chief of Staff

... still waiting for written response.

[Redhawk]

I wonder how many people are on the Government payroll just to bounce e-mails etc; from one department to another.

Maybe we should run a 'book' to guess how many 'bounces' your e-mail does.