It’s an old trick that lets bad fleet drivers (normally the business owner) get away with breaking the road rules. When the fine comes through, it’s paid without nominating a driver. No points are lost and the fine becomes another business expense.
The NSW Government is taking further action to increase the financial pressure on businesses that continue to use this practice by introducing new penalties they fail to nominate drivers for offences detected by cameras.
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said any corporation who fails to nominate a driver for a camera-detected offence could now face a maximum court imposed fine of up to $22,000 for a single incident.
“We see approximately 7,000 offences a year where the fine goes to the business and the business fails to nominate who was driving the vehicle,” Mr Constance said.
“This means people are committing criminal offences in company cars and are not being punished for their dangerous driving, but these measures will address the behaviour of corporations who continue to flout the law.”
The new penalties will help ensure individuals who are speeding or driving while using their mobile phone in a company vehicle are held accountable for their dangerous behaviour.
“Penalties such as fines and demerit points are there to deter drivers from doing the wrong thing and to help keep our roads safe. If you speed then you should be fined – not your employer,” Mr Constance said.
Further new measures, introduced on June 28 2021, will also see the vehicle sanction scheme expanded to company vehicles.
“If you have an employee out there caught speeding at the road side by more than 45km over the speed limit, police will have the ability to confiscate the company vehicle’s number plates or impound the vehicle,” Mr Constance said.
These are significant changes that will catch the attention of Fleet Managers, small business owners and Accountants.
