Heavy Vehicle National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
Bill Journey
Referred to Transport and Public Works Committee
Referred to Transport and Public Works Committee
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill strengthens heavy vehicle safety by requiring company executives to actively ensure compliance with safety laws, and establishes a national database of heavy vehicles. It also significantly increases penalties for dangerous and careless driving that causes death or serious injury, and allows vehicle owners to be notified of traffic offences committed in their vehicles.
Who it affects
Heavy transport companies face stronger executive accountability for safety. Drivers who cause fatal or serious crashes face higher penalties and mandatory licence disqualification. Parents and employers can now track driving offences committed in their vehicles.
Heavy vehicle regulation
Extends due diligence obligations to heavy vehicle company executives for all safety duties, aligning with workplace health and safety laws. Creates a national database of heavy vehicles while keeping registration with state authorities. Provides a one-off exemption from registration duty for vehicles transitioning from federal to state registration.
- Executives personally liable for ensuring their company meets all heavy vehicle safety obligations
- National Heavy Vehicle Regulator must maintain database of all heavy vehicles
- Heavy vehicles moving from federal to Queensland registration exempt from registration duty (1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019)
- Drivers doing 100km work must provide records to their record keeper within 21 days
Driving penalties and road safety
Increases penalties for careless and dangerous driving offences that result in death or grievous bodily harm. Introduces mandatory minimum licence disqualification periods. Increases penalties for leaving the scene of a serious crash.
- Unlicensed drivers who cause death or grievous bodily harm through careless driving face up to 160 penalty units or 2 years imprisonment
- Mandatory licence disqualification periods for dangerous driving causing death or grievous bodily harm
- Higher penalties for leaving the scene of a crash where someone is killed or seriously injured
- Drivers must remain at scene where someone is dead or apparently dead
Drug testing and vehicle notifications
Streamlines drug driving enforcement by allowing one police officer to conduct both roadside and laboratory saliva tests. Allows vehicle owners to be notified of driving offences committed in their vehicles by others.
- Single police officer can now conduct both roadside drug test and subsequent saliva analysis
- Registered vehicle operators can receive email notifications of offences committed in their vehicle
- Protections remain for domestic violence victims to suppress their records
- Digital photos and signatures for learner licence applicants retained for up to one year during PrepL program