A proposal before the Victorian Government to allow truck drivers to trade demerit points in return for undertaking driver education
A proposal before the Victorian Government to allow truck drivers to trade demerit points in return for undertaking driver education will boost road safety, according to Australian Road Train Association (ARTA) Chief Executive Duncan Bremner.
Allowing drivers to trade demerit points is currently used in Britain and is an extension of a policy that awards merit points to heavy vehicle operators who undertake stringent safety training programs.
ARTA has welcomed the proposal, with Bremner arguing its implementation will reduce heavy vehicle road accidents through driver education.
“We congratulate the Victoria[n] Government on working towards real solutions in addressing the unnecessary carnage on our roads,” Bremner says.
“ARTA has long held a policy of reward as well as penalisation when it comes to the merit point system, and we see this type of policy proposal as a positive step forward.”
Bremner says governments need to run education programs rather than slug drivers with demerit points in order to curb heavy vehicle road fatalities.
“Pro-active education is the only way to address the issue of road safety,” he says.
Furthermore, governments should use road revenue to fund education programs, Bremner says.
“Governments need to stop diverting the funds from their road revenue cash cows into general revenue, and provide real training systems for drivers rather than believing simply a couple of hours with mum or dad in the car before the test is enough.”