One of my junior staff has recently had his licence suspended due to an accumilation of demerit points. No serious violations, as in 'careless wreckless driving' or, 'dangerous driving' offences, just an accumilation of points here and there.

Now I rely on this guy for deliveries, so, off I went to the transport department to enquire about a 'work licence'.

I thought I had a justifiable case, however, as it turns out, the only way one in QLD can obtain a 'work licence' is to be convicted of 'DUI'.

So, what do you consider more of a risk to other road users, DUI or minior speeding infringments?

Irrelevant question. What's worse, rape or murder?.

But, seeing as you ask I'd suggest collecting demerit points over time is worse. Shows a habitual serial offender. DUI can be a one off "mistake". The potential consequences of both are equal to each other.

Serial speeding indicates an ongoing disregard for the safety of others even after being pinged for it before.

Laws are always too harsh when someone you know gets caught. They're too lenient when someone you hear about on the news gets caught.

If the guy's doing deliveries he's likely to be on the road a lot and hence his exposure to speed cameras, etc is much greater. When I was on the road a lot I got quite a few speeding fines while travelling between jobs.

What you say isn't quite true, though. One of my friends was given a work license after accumulating points. The kicker is that if you get booked even once during the period, you're suspended for the maximum time.

I would agree with STG.

A low level DUI of 0.05% once off will cost you your license. In the event of a good record and no previous offences, they might consider a trade license.

In the case of multiple speeding offenses, the lesson clearly hasn't been learnt.

While speeding you still have the illusion of control, but for example driving 70 in a 60 zone:
Decreases the time to impact by 16%,
Increases the stopping distance by 36%, doubles the chance of losing traction,
Increases the energy of a collision by 36%, and the chance of a fatality by 80%.

And is responsible for many of the young P plater deaths recently.

I can now get off my soap box and do some work.

On yers Shadow Minister... I know this isn't what started this thread, but the figures you quote show how we need to reduce the legal speed limits in urban areas, from 50 kph (in Qld) down to the European level of (about) 30kph.

Even the 60 limit on larger roads could easily come down to 50.

There is a lot of latent anger on our roads, and some is expressed through speeding and poor driving. Driving slower is actually a calming influence.

I was a bitumen-sailor for ten years, about 125k miles a year driving, and was only ever booked once for not having the 'tare and agg' sign written on the side of my bosses truck. There was little point speeding over a 3000 mile round-journey, and when one drives in the city, in a car, these days, almost nothing is gained in driving short bursts at over the road speed limit.

In fact, in the UK on the motorways, they have a section of road where drivers get timed and if their average speed is greater than the 70mph limit they get fined.

In these sections, people slow down, from the over 100mph that I witnessed, and all three lanes drive 'at the correct speed'. Spaces between vehicles open up, dashing between lanes ends, people become civilised for a few miles... then the section ends and it's off-and-running again, mayhem at over 100 mph!