Traffic police in South Australia wear the negative 'revenue raisers' tag with fines highest in Australia
The South Australian traffic police were seen the agents of propping up state coffers with excessive fines for speeding.
South Australian traffic police and speed camera operators in the early 21st Century found themselves characterised within the media and community as “revenue raisers”, with fines that were the highest in Australia being imposed.
This had a negative impact on the police’s road-safety role. South Australia collected the highest amount of traffic offence fees in 2014-15, equalling on average $129 per registered vehicle. The next highest state was New South Wales at $75 per registered vehicle with just $11 in Tasmania.
Some common traffic fines rose between 66% and 160% between the 2000 and 2012, despite inflation justifying only a 41% rise. The South Australian police were seen the agents of propping up state coffers with excessive fines for even minor speeding offences being introduced by the Labor state government.
In 2016-17, police recorded 240,000 fines against South Australians in a six months – more than 1200 a day, or almost one a minute. The most frequent offences recorded during the six months were breaking the speed limit (116,993), having an unregistered vehicle on the road (32,529) and disobeying a red arrow at traffic lights (6,526). Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving, cannabis-related offences and failing to wear a bike helmet also made the top 30 offences.
Following public backlash, the Labor government lowered fines for some offence in 2012 but demerit points were increased and all offences continued to attract a victims-of-crime levy of $60, which doubled from $30 in 2011.
The South Australian Council of Social Service and Uniting Communities some time lobbied for a system that would see people on lower incomes fined less for the same offence than those on a higher income, as happens in some European countries.