ric777, I agree with many of your points, and pretty much 95 percent of your posts. Nice to see someone writing well thought out posts on here (for a change).
Anyway the points I would like to make are as follows:
1. The definition of the law which you state is fairly clear has ambiguous wording; "accelerating or braking and skidding wildly". By this definition a car isnt permitted to accelerate or brake. An open ended definition like this is bound to be interpreted by many traffic officers differently, and therefore applied in an incosistent manner. Having had contact on a WA motorcycle forum list in the past few days, the riders who are officers on there have stated they know very little about the law or how it is meant to be applied in many instances. So the government which has been letting driver training down for years is also letting police training down too?
I think we just all have fears that this legislation will be applied in an inconsistent and unfair manner.
2. The Silvia driver who lost his car the other night was also done for drunk driving. If there is anyone on this forum who denies that this idiot deserved to lose his car, then please turn yourselves in to your local police station for a free bullet in the head.
3. From a personal perspective, I try my damndest not to speed probably 99 percent of my time on the road, resulting in me having no fines in nearly 3 years now (back to 12 points in November). However I tend to regularly gun it up to the speed limit down on ramps, occasionally from the lights etc. Things we ALL engage in, just to feel that rush of boost from time to time, most times without even losing traction in the slightest. I have grave fears that police targeting people "accelerating" now, not just "speeding" will result in people being labelled hoons without reason. How would you feel losing your car for 48 hours without breaking the speed limit?
4. I think we all need to give this law some time to see its effect. Ive no doubt it can be something truly positive for WA's roads if implemented and enforced with proper care. However we have all had an experience once or twice with a totally unreasonable traffic cop, which leads us to suggest, it wont be positive at all.
5. We've all lived with the threat of losing our licence for driving 45km/h+ over the speed limit before. Dont really know why people are making a big deal out of it now. Afterall what possible reason do you have for doing such a stupendous speed on the road?
6. Learn from mistakes people. Getting caught for doing 39km/h over the limit a month after an accident is just plain silly. Having had 2 accidents already (1 of which was my fault) ive learnt to treat every single driver on the road as a total idiot, capable of doing anything at anytime.
7. Get more involved in weekend motorsport. Easiest way to get a speed fix
Red17