If a driver in the highest income bracket exceeded the speed limit by more than 10km/h on Macpherson Street in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Mosman, as is on the record in the NSW speeding fine data, their fine in the day-fine model would almost triple to $889. [...] However, exceeding the speed limit by more than 20 km/h is considered a traffic crime, and attracts a day fine relative to the driver’s income.15 The name “day fine” comes from the idea of the fine representing a day’s income. [...] (The original implementation was based around the idea of calculating how much income a worker would forfeit if they spent a day in prison instead of working.)16 The level of a day fine is calculated via a formula that takes into account the driver’s net monthly income of the driver, as well as the number of dependents for whom the offender provides. [...] The Finnish police calculate the value of a day fine based on the drivers’ latest tax returns.45 ACCESS TO INCOME TAX DATA The most efficient means of determining a person’s income for the purposes of a proportional fine is access to their most recent income tax return. [...] In New South Wales in 2022 to 2023, regulatory fees and fines (traffic and otherwise) represented 0.75% of the state’s total revenue and the government has budgeted a decrease in revenue for the coming years following the reintroduction of warning signage.48 Under a proportional fine system, states would likely devote less resources chasing up fine defaulters since drivers in the lower quintiles o.
Authors
- Pages
- 22
- Published in
- Australia
Table of Contents
- Summary 4
- Introduction 5
- Finland’s speeding fine system 8
- A Finnish-style proportional speeding fine system for Australia 10
- New South Wales 12
- Examples 12
- Victoria 13
- Examples 13
- Queensland 14
- Examples 14
- South Australia 15
- Examples 15
- Australian Capital Territory 16
- Examples 16
- Western Australia 17
- Examples 17
- Tasmania 18
- Examples 18
- Northern Territory 19
- Examples 19
- The road to implementation 20
- Income focus 20
- Access to income tax data 20
- Perceptions of Revenue Raising 21
- Conclusion 22
