Road safety experts propose levy on large SUVs in city to curb rising Victorian road deaths

[Franco Cozzo]

Oh my, the voices are starting about putting extra taxes on SUVs and larger vehicles to 'reduce the road toll' in Victoria:

Road safety experts propose levy on large SUVs in city to curb rising Victorian road deaths

Large SUVs reported to increase the risk of serious injury to other road users by a third more than medium SUVs

A levy charged to people who drive large SUVs in the city has been mooted as a possible way to curb Victoria’s “skyrocketing” road deaths since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Road safety experts this week told the Victorian government’s inquiry into road safety for vulnerable road users that fatal accidents had risen amid the “many and lingering” changes to road travel behaviour wrought by the pandemic.

While financial disincentives have been shown to benefit road safety in Europe, Australia must first remove incentives encouraging the purchase of large SUV-type vehicles, Newstead said.

“The principal problem we have in terms of vehicle safety at the moment is our penchant for buying 4X4 utes in general,” he said.

“We need to stop incentivising their purchase – a lot of them are being bought as a business tool and not being used as a business tool.”

Marion Terrill, a transport and cities expert at the Grattan Institute, said Australia’s fringe benefits tax exemptions “incentivise the purchase of larger vehicles”.

She believes charging a fee or levy to drivers of large SUV for safety reasons would be an effective reform.

https://www.theguardian.com/australi...an-road-deaths

The Thailand Special is coming under further and further scrutiny, as well as SUVs:

Tax perks driving surge in number of SUVs and larger vehicles on Australian roads

Calls to tackle rise in SUVs, utes and 4WDs by reducing tax incentives and building narrow lanes and parking spots exclusively for small cars

The surge in popularity of larger vehicles in Australia has been driven by tax perks that incentivise buying SUVs, utes and other 4WDs instead of less-polluting smaller-sized cars and sedans, transport experts argue.

SUVs accounted for more than 50% of new vehicles sold in Australia last year, a share which has almost doubled over the past decade. The uptick has prompted calls to tackle the trend by limiting tax incentives, building bus lane-style narrow lanes and more parking spots exclusively for small cars.

https://www.theguardian.com/australi...ds-experts-say

Sounds a lot like the same rhetoric that was used to turn low level speeding fines into a revenue source, given we've (VIC) got state and a federal government lead by cucks who pander towards the kombucha drinking, rainbow flag waving communists, I think this is probably going to be on the agenda, given these people quoted in these articles have the ear of the state government at the inquiry, as well as having a state government currently trying to recover some funds by cancelling infrastructure projects and events.

Whats your thoughts about the idea of levies and more expensive regos on Thailand Specials and SUVs? Would this effect your decision if you're on the SUV/Thailand Special train?

Or you'd be happy to stay on even if it costs a little more every year, if there's large vehicle levies put on in inner suburban areas?

[Tonz]

Marion Terrill, a transport and cities expert at the Grattan Institute 1 person
Road safety experts propose levy plurral

Someone put an investigator on this dame and see what see might be driving.. Range Rover Discovery/ BMW/Porsche ???

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Tonz

Someone put an investigator on this dame and see what see might be driving.. Range Rover Discovery/ BMW/Porsche ???

Range Rover Evoque for sure, or maybe Tesla Model Y.

[Emerald XH]

My wife and I recently spent 8 weeks in hospital, narrowly missing pushing up daisies. Caused by a Honda Civic. We survived because our Pathfinder protected us.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Emerald XH

My wife and I recently spent 8 weeks in hospital, narrowly missing pushing up daisies. Caused by a Honda Civic. We survived because our Pathfinder protected us.

Curious as to how the accident played out - did you guys cop a hit to driver/passenger side door?

[AMB]

Not just the largest ones, they're all a pain the ar$e. Slow cumbersome and block the view in front, they are a road hazard. Travelling behind one is like travelling behind a truck, but they dont realise that, and drive them like they are in car. The few that drive them spiritedly are probably most represented in those statistics. I dont mind travelling behind trucks, always corteous to a truck driver doing a job, and they are mostly corteous by keeping left and not slowing and blocking the traffic flow.

[AMB]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Curious as to how the accident played out - did you guys cop a hit to driver/passenger side door?

Yes, not getting the whole story -just honda civic totaled a pathfinder.

[simon varley]

or we could just ban bull bars like most other countries.

or teach people to look before they step out into the road

or ban honda civics

[randel]

Can imagine it now if they make lanes or parking spots narrower. Tossers in their 'trucks' will still squeeze into them...

[CyberWasp]

I have said many times.
Go to youtube and watch the latest Australian Dash Cam Owners Video or Bad Driving Australia Compilation and you will see what the issues are. None of them are what they are talking about in the article.
There are idiots on the road that don't know how to drive or don't give a crap about anything. That is it.
It doesn't matter if you put them in a Kia Picanto or a Dodge Ram, they are still an idiot and will do the same things regardless of what they are sitting in. Look at the Videos.

What is the hangup with what people buy and drive, and how they use their vehicle?

There is a small, like very very small minority that keep spewing this garbage over and over. They are not elected into their position and have no right to speak on behalf of the majority of road users who actually spend many hours on the roads each day.

[Emerald XH]

For unknown reasons the Civic left the side of the blacktop then veered back onto the road across onto our side Head on in a 100 zone and yes it totalled the Pathfinder.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by randel

Can imagine it now if they make lanes or parking spots narrower. Tossers in their 'trucks' will still squeeze into them...

Just park in between two spaces over the line in the middle - problem solved

[T3rminator]

Restrictions on large vehicles within the city roads has already started in some countries. Whether it be for safety or emissions or whatever, we'll eventually follow.

Used to live in this block in London. Look what they have now done. They have put barriers so that only small cars can enter the side streets. I don't reckon the Z4 I had could fit through there...and I'd classify that as a small car!

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

and a federal government lead by cucks who pander towards the kombucha drinking, rainbow flag waving communists

Been away from the forums too long, haha! (They will do anything to avoid a technical GDP recession, anything)

OK so I've been thinking about the bluff square fronts of the new dual cabs and come to the conclusion that the car in front of them which they are tailgating actually provides the streamlined air flow and reduction in Cd.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

There is a small, like very very small minority that keep spewing this garbage over and over. They are not elected into their position and have no right to speak on behalf of the majority of road users who actually spend many hours on the roads each day.

Said non elected, very small minority has been speaking to and advising the Victorian government in an inquiry and making suggestions - thats the problem.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

I have said many times.
Go to youtube and watch the latest Australian Dash Cam Owners Video or Bad Driving Australia Compilation and you will see what the issues are. None of them are what they are talking about in the article.
There are idiots on the road that don't know how to drive or don't give a crap about anything. That is it.
It doesn't matter if you put them in a Kia Picanto or a Dodge Ram, they are still an idiot and will do the same things regardless of what they are sitting in. Look at the Videos.

What is the hangup with what people buy and drive, and how they use their vehicle?

There is a small, like very very small minority that keep spewing this garbage over and over. They are not elected into their position and have no right to speak on behalf of the majority of road users who actually spend many hours on the roads each day.

Somebody buy this man a beer. Well said.

[prydey]

As for the tax perks being a major driver in the take up of larger vehicles, is there statistical proof of this?

Caravan sales over the last 5 years or so has been increasing exponentially almost. It stands to reason that larger cars capable of towing will also follow a similar trend.

Camping/4x4/off road industry is extremely healthy. Perhaps those who don't drive larger cars are just jealous that they aren't out enjoying this great country.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by prydey

Camping/4x4/off road industry is extremely healthy. Perhaps those who don't drive larger cars are just jealous that they aren't out enjoying this great country.

Each to their own, can't say there's much that interests me outside of Melbourne and Sydney.

[MITCHAY]

WTF is happening to this country

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

WTF is happening to this country

Kombucha drinking, rainbow flag waving communists have the VIC state government bent over a table in the senate and the federal government by the balls in the house of reps

[yanknbank]

Have just ordered a Y62 Patrol. They can get stuffed.

[Interceptor]

maybe all the states should impose a levy on Victorian owned caravans.... I reckon a million dollars per millimeter travelled, paid in advance and non refundable should do it....

One of the dumb bastards decided to do a u-turn through centre parking in the middle of town yesterday..... blocking the street for the best part of 15 minutes instead of going through the roundabout 3 blocks further up the street!

[lra]

'Road safety experts' ?
A bit like the one-man-band 'Pedestrian Safety Council' in NSW ?

But they do have a point, even if it is misdirected.
I would prefer them to look at licencing for drivers of these bigger, heavier vehicles.

It seems OK for some-one, of any age, to have driven Corolla type vehicles for any period of time, to buy a Silverado (2,540kg) or LandCruiser (2,740KG), hook up a 3,000kg caravan, plus all the necessary other items, and head off into the Great Outback with 6 tonne of high speed metal, all legally with no extra driver training.

Heavy vehicle drivers are required to have training and a relevant licence, why not drivers of these bigger vehicles

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by lra

'Road safety experts' ?
A bit like the one-man-band 'Pedestrian Safety Council' in NSW ?

But they do have a point, even if it is misdirected.
I would prefer them to look at licencing for drivers of these bigger, heavier vehicles.

It seems OK for some-one, of any age, to have driven Corolla type vehicles for any period of time, to buy a Silverado (2,540kg) or LandCruiser (2,740KG), hook up a 3,000kg caravan, plus all the necessary other items, and head off into the Great Outback with 6 tonne of high speed metal, all legally with no extra driver training.

Heavy vehicle drivers are required to have training and a relevant licence, why not drivers of these bigger vehicles

I agree, the moment you want to tow something it should be a separate licence endorsement on top of car licence.

Make it a five day course, cover everything from 6x4s to loaded machinery trailers and large caravans, get out the witches hats and send out army of grey nomads out to reverse circles everywhere and drive around for a few days under controlled conditions, then do a licence test circuit at the end.

Then give them a nice shiny certificate at the end, obligatory class photo with everyone and then send them off to be a pain in the *** Australia-wide

[prydey]

Originally Posted by lra

It seems OK for some-one, of any age, to have driven Corolla type vehicles for any period of time, to buy a Silverado (2,540kg) or LandCruiser (2,740KG), hook up a 3,000kg caravan, plus all the necessary other items, and head off into the Great Outback with 6 tonne of high speed metal, all legally with no extra driver training.

Heavy vehicle drivers are required to have training and a relevant licence, why not drivers of these bigger vehicles

This argument gets put forward all the time but the reality is it rarely happens in that fashion.

Not to mention the statistics just don't support it.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by prydey

This argument gets put forward all the time but the reality is it rarely happens in that fashion.

Not to mention the statistics just don't support it.

If 9/10 caravanners are running illegal setups, then to me that points out there is a serious problem:

Police issue caravan warning as crackdown reveals 90 per cent are overweight

A road safety crackdown by police in Queensland has revealed a disturbing number of travellers towing dangerously overweight caravan combinations, renewing calls for better education – or special licence requirements.

A recent weigh-in blitz by police in Queensland found nine out of 10 vehicles towing caravans were overweight – but police used the exercise to educate drivers rather than issue tickets.

Disturbingly, most drivers claimed they had no idea their car and caravan combination was dangerously overweight.

The crackdown has renewed calls for better driver education about towing limits – and some road safety advocates are even calling for a special licence classification.

https://www.drive.com.au/news/police...re-overweight/

I like how if you overload your caravan they go the 'education' route, but you do it in a truck and the fines start at $3000 for minor breaches:

Penalty

In Victoria, when a heavy vehicle is overloaded, the penalty will be calculated based on the proportion that the load is over the acceptable weight. Also, whether the person being charged is an individual or body corporate will be considered. It will also be determined if the criminal is a first-time or recurrent offender.

Note that any person who is found guilty of non-compliance with the loading requirements will face a maximum penalty of;

$3,000 for minor risk breach
$5,000 for a substantial risk breach
$10,000 for a severe risk breach.

Sections 112,113, and 114 of the HVNL defines what entails a minor, substantial, and severe risk breach, respectively.

[prydey]

Anti caravan discussion is off topic

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by prydey

Anti caravan discussion is off topic

Thats funny, we're only talking about caravans because of this:

Originally Posted by prydey

As for the tax perks being a major driver in the take up of larger vehicles, is there statistical proof of this?

Caravan sales over the last 5 years or so has been increasing exponentially almost. It stands to reason that larger cars capable of towing will also follow a similar trend.

Camping/4x4/off road industry is extremely healthy. Perhaps those who don't drive larger cars are just jealous that they aren't out enjoying this great country.

When challenged, you come out denying there's a problem, asking for the statistics, I give you the stats and now the problem is the discussion is off topic

I suspect its part of the discussion, because we're talking about large vehicles and extra levies, there's a group of people who own these vehicles, because they're caravanners.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by yanknbank

Have just ordered a Y62 Patrol. They can get stuffed.

If I had the cash I'd order a RAM or Silverado just to **** the greenies off around here

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

When challenged, you come out denying there's a problem, asking for the statistics, I give you the stats and now the problem is the discussion is off topic

I suspect its part of the discussion, because we're talking about large vehicles and extra levies, there's a group of people who own these vehicles, because they're caravanners.

Yes, you offered some statistics. Not anything to do with the potential problem mentioned but hey, facts and good stories right?

Feel free to discuss the topic of larger vehicles. The fact they're used for a number of purposes proves that many people buy them because they need them. Not just for some tax perk. That was my point.

Small minority just get the sulks because other people choose different vehicles to them.