Fines for running out of petrol on motorway mulled
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National
Motorists who run out of fuel on Auckland's motorways could be fined.
Police have asked the New Zealand Transport Agency to investigate the possibility of fines as they attend an increasing number of stranded vehicles, blocking lanes and endangering other motorists, the New Zealand Herald reported.
In three weeks in July last year, 148 vehicles ran out of fuel on Auckland's motorways.
Inspector Dave Walker, of the harbour bridge and motorways unit, said police attended thousands of stoppages on motorways and some were because drivers ran out of fuel.
Stranded cars on stretches of road where there were no stopping shoulders meant other people were at risk.
"We are on call 24 hours a day, we will attend these incidents and if we can prove a person was driving on an empty tank, they will face a heavy penalty."
Police wanted a law similar to the one that fined people $250 for walking on a city motorway.
The transport agency said it was seeking views on the feasibility of a bylaw, which would make it an offence to run out of fuel anywhere on the 72.7km network.
However, no decision would be made without considering the opinions of local authorities, emergency services, trucking organisations and the Automobile Association.
North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams said it would be "another pointless bureaucratic exercise and another thing for the police to enforce".
Manukau City councillor Colleen Brown said a bylaw would hit those who struggled with the cost of running a car and Rodney District deputy mayor John Kirikiri described the idea as "money-grabbing by the authorities".
- NZPA
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If a driver is so self centred to risk holding up hundreds of other drivers should they run out of fuel, then I fully support police charging them $250. Do many Aucklanders support the self centred thing? I also suspect many of those running out of fuel probably peed the last tank of fuel "against the wall" the night before.
Not only do we have misguided do-gooders wanting the nanny state to rush out a fill the tanks of the people stupid enough to enter a major motorway system with insufficient fuel to complete their journey, but we now have Clive Two-Names, the country's resident expert on all things motoring, rushing in to tell us fining these nitwits is the wrong thing to do. These people are if nothing else putting other road users at risk through their stupidity and if the potential of a fine makes them think twice before entering the motorway, lets start making people responsible for their own actions.
There is no excuse for running out of fuel on a motorway (other than in the breakdown lane). It has nothing to do with money. It has everything to do with poor planning and an inability to operate a motor vehicle.
If you know you are low on fuel, remain aware of the traffic and get into a position where you can get into the breakdown lane quickly and easily.
People who complain about being fined are just unable to be accountable. It's simple. Know what the rules are. If you choose to break them, and get caught, be a grown up and just pay your damned fine. If you can't afford paying a fine, don't risk getting caught.
Breaking any law is just gambling. I have parked illegally, for example. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. It was my choice to do so, I knew what I was doing, and as much as I dislike it, I was to blame.
If your vehicle stops on a motorway in such a manner that causes danger to other motorists, then you should be fined. What the hell are you people suggesting - that we shouldn't fine people because they are poor? Extend your argument to parking and even to criminal acts. Who cares whether they are poor or not. Break the rules, pay the price.
There are so many idiots bleating about being fined for not being able to afford petrol.
If you can't afford petrol, what the hell are you doing driving your car? Will the magic fairies come and fill it for you?
Stop being morons, if you don't have much petrol in the tank and no money to fill it up, don't drive your car. Stop trying to shift responsibility or blame onto someone else and find an alternative mode of transport.
Do people actually think that cars that reducing the number of cars that run out of petrol will solve our traffic congestion problems? Wake up!
Just another policy that disadvantages the poor. Its obvious that people that support the fines system are well off Auckland jaffa tossers.
Money Mongers!, you get enough money out of us from other fines!!. Your public servants paid by taxes we pay, do your jobs instead of ripping us off!!!.
if you haven't got the common sense not to run out of petrol on the motorway you've got a bit of a problem. We're not talking an ordinary road here, if you get out of your car on the motorway cars are whizzing past you at 100kph+..its not really the best of ideas.
If you spot the tank getting low you can always get off at what are commonly referred to as EXITS! fill up & get back on your way. And if you don't have enough money for gas then asking the police to come & put a couple of litres in your tank isnt really going to get you very far is it? thats just an excuse, coz during the oil crisis people like myself who couldnt afford to fill up used the bus!
The fine doesn't have to be so expensive though, people would learn just as well from a $50 fine as they would from a $250 one.
It's called responsibility for your own actions.
If the thing called a petrol guage is showing that you don't have enough petrol to get to your destination then don't drive the car up the on-ramp onto the motorway.
Last thing I remember is that a car is a luxury item, so if there is a decision between food for the family or fuel (along with registration, warrants, insurance and servicing) then maybe it is time to stop using the car (or get a more efficient vehicle).
People run out of gas for a reason
The people supporting this are contradicting themselves. Hello if you're poor & breaking down im sure you can't afford to get a better car and/or stop driving to work?? A lot of the people on here need to take a look at their values. Kicking people when they're down and spitting in their faces isn't the NZ way.