Road safety boss rules out extending double demerit scheme to cover holiday to mourn the Queen’s death
The double demerits will not take effect until after the special holiday to mourn the queen’s death due to legislative restrictions, WA’s Road Safety Commissioner confirmed.
The possibility of the double demerit regime being extended to include the five days between Thursday’s National Day of Mourning and the Queen’s birthday party was raised in a radio interview with Police Commissioner Colonel Blanch on Wednesday.
However, Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said that while the commission “had considered extending the period to include the single holiday”, this “was not possible under the current legislative framework”.
The double demerit period will start as scheduled at 12:01 next Friday.
“Double demerit periods are regulated under the Road Traffic Regulations (Driving License) of 2014 and Regulation 67 sets out the holiday periods in which they can be applied,” said the Safety Commission. Street.
“Since the National Day of Mourning in honor of Her Majesty the Queen does not fall within this scope, the period of the double demerit cannot be extended beyond the foreseen four days”.
Mr. Warner urged motorists to be careful on the road over the long weekend.
“You know the five victims: speeding, drunk driving, not wearing a seat belt, distraction (especially cell phones) and tired driving,” he said.
“Above all, be patient and focus on the safety of every journey.
“Don’t be in a hurry to get to your destination, don’t rush to overtake and don’t be tempted to pass when you are tired.”
WA’s road toll currently stands at 109 this year, with 72 people losing their lives on regional roads and 37 in the metropolitan area.
There were 166 deaths on the road last year.