Think tank says WA’s wealthy drivers should pay higher fines & slams current model for ‘criminalising poverty’

WA’s wealthiest drivers would be slapped with massive speeding fines tied to how much they earn, under a new road safety system proposed by a think tank that slams the current model for “criminalising poverty”. In a report released on Sunday, The Australia Institute called for all States to implement a Finnish traffic fine model, where drivers caught speeding more than 20km/h over the limit receive an infringement dependent on their income. Having a billionaire pay the same $200 speeding fine as a low-income earner was “unfair”, the institute’s research manager and report co-author Alice Grundy said. “Australia’s regressive speeding fine system effectively criminalises poverty,” she said. WA drivers currently pay $200 in fines if caught speeding between 10km/h to 19km/h but under the proposal, drivers could receive a fine ranging from $75 to $917 based on their income. The discussion paper says flat-rate traffic fines have disproportionately “devastating effects” on low-income earners and “criminalise poverty”. The research does not analyse whether speeding fines are a deterrent, but rather the effect of the financial penalty across the income spectrum. “If fines are to be levied on drivers, they should be imposed in a manner that does not result in disproportionate financial distress to low-income earners,” the research says. “Some evidence points to speeding being a ‘luxury crime’, meaning that high-income individuals are much more likely to be issued a speeding ticket than lower-income drivers. “This means that the present research potentially underestimates the additional income a proportional speeding-fine system could raise, as higher income individuals would receive larger fines.” Finland’s model sparked discussion last year when a multi-millionaire businessman was fined $196,000 for doing more than 20km/h over the limit. Asked on Sunday whether the State Government would support such a move, Premier Roger Cook said implementation would be difficult, given the Commonwealth’s jurisdiction over income data. “We don’t have any plans to implement a policy like that and it’s also difficult for us because as a State government, we don’t have access to people’s taxable incomes,” he said. “We will struggle to actually stratify that fine arrangement. The best way for people to avoid speeding fines is not to speed.” WA’s road toll stood at 140 on Sunday, with the rising fatalities behind the wheel forcing the Government to spend more from the road trauma trust account in recent weeks. TRAFFIC FINES UNDER THE PROPORTIONAL MODEL FOR SPEEDING BETWEEN 10KM/H TO 19KM/H NSW: $75 to $885, current fine is $361 VICTORIA: $75 to $850, current fine is $330 QUEENSLAND: $75 to $829, current fine is $266 WESTERN AUSTRALIA: $75 to $917, current fine is $200 SOUTH AUSTRALIA: $75 to $750, current fine is $406 TASMANIA: $75 to $804, current fine is $150 ACT: $75 to $750, current fine is $489 NORTHERN TERRITORY: $75 to $849, current fine is $300