The Advertiser: Your views on the news April 18-April 24 [18apr05]

Item: What about us?; wife’s plea on hit-run penalties :17apr05
From: Roberto Markham, Gawler
What is so wrong with failing to stop, going home to sober up, then reporting to police? It is surely the best thing to do as so many have proven! Perhaps the law should be changed so that anyone who fails to stop is automatically assumed to be under the influence. So it may infringe on the driver’s rights. What about the rights of the victim that are so often shoved aside by the courts.

Item: Our challenge to you – no fatals :19apr05
From: Adrian Tritschler, Melbourne
Increased penalties are no bloody use when the law is ignored, the law isn’t enforced, and the courts award slaps on the wrist. $1250 for killing a cyclist with a 4WD, sickening.

Item: Why was lawyer not breath-tested? :20apr05
From: Jennifer James, Adelaide
By increasing the penalty to 10 years hit and run offenders will be even less likely to come forward. If the government wants to get heavy handed now because they feel guilty that this is such a biased case then they should start toughening up on rape penalties too! It seems ludicrous that the sentence is higher for hit and run than it is for rape.

Item: Death-drive witnesses `not wanted’ :22apr05
From: Mal. P. Bailey, Mitchell Park
As Sir Winston Churchill quoted: Men occasionally stumble over the truth but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing has happened.