Victorian road users hit with outdated fines Victorian dirvers can be fined for leaving their keys in the ignition. VICTORIAN road users can face fines of $144 for leaving their car with the engine on or keys in the ignition - when these are not even offences in South Australia or comparable parts of the world. The State Government has put up the size of "penalty units" that underpin its system of fines by more than 40 per cent since 2004. Yet Western Australia hasn't raised the size of penalty units since 1998. This financial year the Government anticipates raising nearly double the amount it did in 2004-05: $643 million versus $326 million. The current Budget tips a further increase of $25 million next financial year. In 2013-14 Victoria will raise more revenue - $113 per person - than any other state. More populous NSW anticipates earning $150 million less. Inconsistent and over-the-top penalties are nationally propelling government traffic- fine income towards $2 billion annually, equating to an average of about $80 a head. This has triggered calls for greater uniformity and an end to ­"revenue-raising." "It's a hopeless joke," said Australian Automobile Association chief executive Andrew McKellar. Charles Sturt University vice-chancellor Professor Clive Hamilton, an advocate for fairer fines, said "harmonisation" made sense. Australian legal information website Findlaw content editor Stanley Hong said: "It just seems a little bit finicky and overreaching." Mr McKellar described some offences as "anachronistic," such as leaving the engine on or keys in the ­ignition. "Are we just revenue raising or is there a serious purpose to the level of penalty that is on the statute?" he asked. Prof Hamilton said penalties "should reflect the seriousness of the offence and increase with the risk of harm to other people." State and territory governments expect to reap a ­combined $1.84 billion from road users this financial year, according to an aggregate of Budget papers - an increase of $61 million on 2012-13. SA is budgeting fine earnings of $125.8 million in 2013-14, courtesy of new speed cameras. Queensland is set to bring in $367 million this financial year. Tasmania is budgeting on a slight decline this financial year to $106.4 million. It's not even an offence in British Columbia, Canada In France the fine is just 11 euro ($16) Or British Columbia Yet in Sydney, it's a $101 fine - and punishable in every corner of our country