Articles by David Nankervis

Motorists detected driving past speed cameras at up to 9km/h over the limit are not being fined, new police figures show.The Motor Accident Commission spent $700,000 last financial year on road safety, including warning drivers about the dangers of creeping over the limit.But the police figures show 'creepers' are not being penalised when they pass the state's 120-plus fixed and speed cameras.Offences detected by cameras account for 82 per cent of speeding fines issued. The margins above the speed limit at which they generate fines varies according to the speed zone, police data published on a State Government website has revealed.The figures show the margins range from 7km/h at lower speed limits to 9km/h in higher zones.But these fines account for only a small proportion of the almost 212,000 fines issued last financial year.People should always travel at or just below the speed limitThe Motor Accident Commission launched its 'Creepers' campaign in October 2012 to highlight the dangers of low-level speeding.It included graphic images to illustrate the potential trauma caused by motorists who speed by even a small margin.Police Assistant Commissioner Noel Bamford said there was "a tolerance in each speed bracket" but he urged drivers to "stick to the limit".He said police "policy is not to discuss or reveal these as we believe it will essentially set a default speed limit on the roads"."With the help of speed cameras, we have reduced the speeds travelled across the road network," he said.In response to the release of police data, MAC general manager for road safety Michael Cornish urged drivers to take responsibility for observing speed limits."When motorists exceed the speed limit, they place not only themselves but others at risk," Mr Cornish said.The RAA said the release of the speeding-fine data should not encourage motorists to speed."People should always travel at or just below the speed limit," RAA road safety manager Charles Mountain said."The tolerance level is just to provide for fluctuations in speed which occur due to people's ability to drive for long periods at the limit and that particularly older vehicles will read slightly below or above the real speed level." The State Government said police "have always had the discretion about expiating motorists for road offences".But it added that no one "should believe for one second that speeding is acceptable".Police data on all camera speeding fines issued in 2013/14 shows: LOWEST speeding offence in a 40km/h zone was 48km/hLOWEST speeding fine in a 50km/h zone was 58km/hLOWEST speeding offence in a 80km/h zone was 89km/hLOWEST speeding offence in a 100km/h zone was 110km/hLOWEST speeding offence in a 110km/h zone was 120km/hMORE than 99 per cent of speeding camera fines in a 60km/h zone were issued to motorists travelling at 68km/h or above.Only 53 non-camera speeding fines issued last financial year in 40, 50, 60 and 80km/h zones were below the camera tolerance levels.The police fines data is published on the State Government's data.sa.gov.au website, created last year by Premier Jay Weatherill to make government department and agency information available to the public.The data also shows Adelaide's speed camera hot spots.Although they began operation only last December, the two speed cameras on the South Eastern Freeway, at Crafers and near the toll gate, were among the top three revenue raisers last financial year.The cameras caught 14,400 speeding motorists.The top speed camera for the number of fines issued was at Montague Rd, Ingle Farm.MOBILE/FIXED SPEED CAMERA FINES 2013/14 Description of offence: Exceed Speed Limit 40 km/h Total records for this speed zone: 4586 Lowest vehicle speed: 48Description of offence: Exceed Speed Limit 50 km/h Total records for this speed zone: 62988Lowest vehicle speed: 58 Description of offence: Exceed Speed Limit 60 km/h Total records for this speed zone: 88303 Lowest vehicle speed: 68*Description of offence: Exceed Speed Limit 80 km/h Total records for this speed zone: 9380 Lowest vehicle speed: 89 Description of offence: Exceed Speed Limit 100 km/h Total records for this speed zone: 6252 Lowest vehicle speed: 110 Description of offence: Exceed Speed Limit 110 km/h Total records for this speed zone: 848 Lowest vehicle speed: 120*Excluding 14 fines under review by SAPOLTOP TEN SPEED CAMERA SITESMontague Rd, INGLE FARM - 10061 fines - $3,370,643 SE Freeway, LEAWOOD GARDENS - 8227 fines - $3,628,213 SE Freeway, CRAFERS - 6171 fines - $2,993,211 South Rd, CLOVELLY PARK - 4008 fines - $1,426,486 Glover Ave Bakewell (Underpass), ADELAIDE - 3856 fines - $1,333,850 King William Rd/Sir Edwin Smith Ave, NORTH ADELAIDE - 3751 fines - $1,222,763South Rd, BLACKFOREST - 3680 fines - $1,426,793 Portrush Rd, TRINITY GARDENS - 3275 fines - $1,101,817 Cross Rd, KINGSWOOD - 3222 fines - $1,126,447 Grote St/West Tce, ADELAIDE - 2807 fines - $947,852FINE METHOD 45% Fixed camera37% Mobile camera18% OtherTOTAL OF ALL SPEEDING FINES: 211,886WEIRD FINES 2013/1416 Driving motor vehicle with TV receiver operating 20 Driving with radar detecting device 163 Driving the wrong way on a one-way road 4 Increasing speed when overtaken by another driver 

Backyard used car dealer Ali Faraj has been dubbed the South Australia’s 'dodgiest trader' by the consumer watchdog, after his latest court appearance. He has a 'substantial history' of 'unscrupulous behaviour' which stretches across different industries and has cost him $150,000 in fines and compensation payouts in the past 14 months, Consumer and Business Services said.The Warradale man, 31, is a home-wrecking renovator and backyard car dealer who has swindled people out of tens of thousands of dollars using three different names. He also holds the record for the highest fines imposed by courts for breaching building and car dealing laws. Faraj, also known as Kamel Kassem and Kamel Mousselmani, was also jailed in Victoria for six months in 2011. He has convictions for at least 68 dishonesty and deception offences in that state.Consumer Affairs Commissioner Paul White said Faraj ''clearly has complete contempt for the law … He is untrustworthy, unethical and CBS have made every endeavour to ensure he is no longer a threat to consumers,'' he said. Last week, Faraj was fined $33,000 in the Adelaide Magistrates Court for selling more than 10 used cars without a second-hand car dealer's licence. He was found to have 'intentionally' traded the cars illegally between July 2011 and December 2012.The vehicles, many brought from Victoria, included Mercedes Benz sedans, a Toyota HiLux and a Nissan Skyline. The previous Friday, Faraj was banned in the District Court from working in the building industry after continuing to advertise for construction work despite convic-tions last year for working unlicensed and ripping off several customers for tens of thousands of dollars for renovation jobs.For these crimes, he was fined $57,000 and paid $1706 victims of crime levy, $800 for prosecution costs and $60,000 compensation in September last year. He undertook contracts worth more than $700,000 with at least four Adelaide homeowners to carry out renovations, demolition, painting, plumbing and electrical work in 2010 and 2011. In one case he demolished the interior of a beachfront Hallett Cove home and left the $380,000 job unfinished - despite taking a $50,000 deposit from the owners. CBS urges consumers who engage with any trader to check they are licensed at the Public Licensing Register on www.cbs.sa.gov.au 

The bust is one of the biggest in the second-hand car industry in South Australia. Among those caught by Consumer and Business Affairs last month were a brother and sister who used false identities to run a backyard dealership. Staff at various used-car yards - including one large dealership - were also discovered selling vehicles privately without warranties or a cooling-off period. One racket uncovered involved an unlicensed dealer who traded 30 cars in two years using false identities to disguise his transactions. This is in breach of laws that require anyone who sells at least four vehicles in 12 months to be licensed, provide a cooling-off period, deposit refund and a warranty for cars worth more than $3000. Minister for Business Services and Consumers John Rau said the man's sister was also “engaging in similar activities with other licensed dealers” who “must have known” of the couple's dodgy dealing. The crackdown also uncovered instances of licensed dealers selling cars to staff members, who then on-sold them to the public without a licence. “It appears licensed dealers wanting to dispose of unwanted stock found this method more profitable than wholesaling cars or sending them to auction,” Mr Rau said. “These practices are illegal and dealers could face losing their licences, and we are working with the Motor Trade Association to stamp it out.” He said the crackdown was “a warning for dodgy dealers who tarnish the reputation of the vehicle sales industry's reputation”. He said the investigation involved data matching and analysis of suspicious transactions. Consumer Affairs Commissioner Paul White said the investigation of illegal second-hand car rackets served as a warning for other unlicensed dealers. He said “investigations are continuing” into the cases. “This has been a significant operation, one of the biggest second-hand dealer investigations carried out by CBS,” Mr White said. No charges have yet been laid. The maximum penalty for trading unlicensed is $100,000.