“They’re revenue raisers” is an often hear grievance. And the same goes for pretty much any type of device or method Tasmania Police use to catch people from driving too fast.

There are a multitude of other gripes drivers have about speed cameras – they’re never in the places where people have crashes is another criticism you often hear, particularly in complaints to media outlets via the letters to the editor or online comments posted to our website.

The common fault with any of those arguments is that most people don’t seem to understand is the long-term focus on stopping people from speeding all the time, not just when there are speed cameras around.

It’s more about changing behaviours and attitudes towards what is acceptable and not acceptable when we get behind the wheel.

The issue came to light again this week after police caught three motorists allegedly driving at speeds more common to that found on a race track than on Tasmanian roads.

A motorcyclist was allegedly caught travelling at 186km/h in a 100km/h zone on the West Tamar Highway.  Later that night, a man driving a high powered vehicle was allegedly nabbed also travelling at 186km/h near Hagley, this time in a 110 km/h zone.

Then in the same area on Sunday, another driver was caught driving at 151km/h in a 110km/h zone near Westbury with passengers in the car.

This type of behaviour is simply bewildering. 

Anyone caught driving at high-range speeds should have their licence cancelled immediately, and their vehicle clamped, or permanently confiscated if is a repeat offence. 

With a road toll already peaking at 19 for the year, the state government needs to get tougher on dangerous drivers. 

Researchers already know that the single biggest contributing factor to being badly hurt or killed in a crash is speed. As a society, we need to make a statement that driving in a manner that is dangerous to other people on the road is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

All we need is a little resolve from our law-makers to sufficiently punish those drivers on our roads who have no consideration not only for their own lives, but the lives of other innocent people around them.