Extraordinary licenses – should they be banned? By Anne Simpson
If you commit a traffic offence(s) and have your driver’s license taken off you, why should you be allowed to apply for an extraordinary one? What was the point of meting out punishment in the first place?
A country magistrate has been recently quoted as wanting to ban extraordinary licenses so that people who commit offences on the road actually have to deal with the consequences of their actions and think twice about drink driving or speeding or behaving recklessly on the road. It appears that the law society opposes this, saying that it could impose unnecessary hardship on people if they were stranded at home and unable to get to work, take kids to school etc. What has happened to the principle of taking responsibility for one’s actions? Are e-licenses handed out too often to people who have scant regard for the law or are they justified in certain circumstances?
Tags: crime, deterrent, driving offences, extraordinary licenses, punishment
February 17th, 2010 at 6:26 am
A ban should be a ban and there should be no extraordinary circumstances. If you lose your license, you lose your license and cop the consequences.
I would go much further than that though. Drink driving should have no second chances, or if there has to be a second chance, the license is lost for good. If you think that is a bit rough, then just have another look at the road toll and how much of it is down to drink driving. If you KNEW you would lose your license for goof IF you CHOSE to drink, would you still do it?
As much as it would hurt those dumb enough to do it anyway, how many lives would be saved?
Driving a missile loaded with explosive fuel while drunk needs to draw the appropriate penalty … surely?
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:11 am
Quite agree with your comments, but what happens when someone lives out of town, has no public transport and needs to take kids to school, do shopping etc?
March 9th, 2010 at 2:24 am
I’m not sure if the previous posters are aware of the new laws brought in by the department of transport (formally dpi) for people that lose their license from the accumulation of more than 12 demerit points.
There is now a double or nothing system, where where a driver who has accrued 12 or more demerit points can continue to drive on a Good Behaviour Period.
However, if they accrue more than one demerit point in 12 months (the length of the Good Behaviour Period) they will receive double their original disqualification period.
This i think is a far better system – where are people are given a second chance, but have to follow the law religiously to keep it.
If people are truly in hardship and really need the license if they live out of town, etc – then they know they have to follow the rules.
Is this really too much to ask of people?