Page 1155 - Week 03 - Thursday, 31 March 2011

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that police can enter a vehicle in order to exercise the power to seize registration-related documents.

The power to seize false or otherwise unlawful driver licences and registration-related documents will complement the RAPID (recognition and analysis of plates identified) automatic number plate recognition technology used by police to detect possible unlicensed drivers or unregistered vehicles in roadside operations. The trial of the RAPID system during the first half of 2009 saw 2,348 individual vehicles and people of interest being identified; 1,820 infringements being issued; and 200 suspensions or disqualifications issued.

ACT Policing formally launched the RAPID system in November 2009. In its first three days of full operation, the RAPID team had an immediate impact. Working in cooperation with ACT vehicle inspectors, the team detected 32 unregistered and 13 uninsured cars, eight unlicensed drivers, two unroadworthy vehicles and issued 21 defect notices. Unregistered vehicles and unlicensed drivers are a significant road safety hazard. In 2010, around one-third of the ACT’s road fatalities involved an unlicensed driver or unregistered vehicle and crash statistics from other jurisdictions confirm that unlicensed drivers have a crash risk that is two to three times greater than licensed drivers.

Mr Speaker, the technical amendments in this bill are important for the effective operation of the road transport legislation and I commend it to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mr Smyth) adjourned to the next sitting.

Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) Amendment Bill 2011

Mr Stanhope, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.

Title read by Clerk.

MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Minister for Transport, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Business and Economic Development, Minister for Land and Property Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for the Arts and Heritage) (10.39): I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

This bill consolidates the significant policy reforms to the Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1977 which were made last year. It contains a number of technical and operational amendments, some of which are consequential to amendments made last year and some of which are included to refresh the drafting of an act that was passed last year. The amendments in this bill affect the Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1977, the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Regulation 2000, the Road Transport (General) Act 1999, the Road Transport (Offences) Regulation 2005, the Crimes Act 1900 and the Spent Convictions Act 2000.


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