Low Tolerance Arguments

There are a number of arguments presented by the Government in defence of the low tolerance limits

	Victorian Department of Justice - I was only a few kilometres over the limit. Why should I be punished?.
	Victorian Department of Justice - My speedo is inaccurate. Will you withdraw the notice?
	Victorian Police Department Policy - It's the Motorists Problem
	Victorian Police - Tolerance of 9km/h is permitted
	Victorian Police - the community may be aware of speed tolerances and “de facto” speed limits may be in force.

In the Victorian Road Safety Committee report on the Inquiry Into the Demerit Points Scheme November 1994 in chapter 3 it is recorded under 3.5 Enforcement Thresholds:

The enforcement threshold for speed cameras was originally the posted speed limit plus 10% plus 3 km/h. It is now 9 km/h (ie. a vehicle is booked at a measured speed of 10 km/h over the posted limit). A machine tolerance of 3 km/h is then applied to reduce the measured speed to the alleged speed quoted on infringement notices. The current policy was introduced by Victoria Police on 14 February 1993 to coincide with the introduction of the 110 km/h rural freeway limit. It does not apply to other speed measuring methods and there are no current plans to change it at this timet.

Now maths is maths. 10% of 100km/h is 10km/h and of 110km/h is 11km/h. There appears to be no logical reason for a figure of 9km/h being applied.