drive a car with a bald tire, on P plates and stuff it into a tree with no injuries to you and your passenger and you will will not be prosecuted unless you are stupid enough to incriminate yourself.
not so some poor stupid sod in an aircraft. That CASA and the courts think there is some safety benefit in prosecution beggars belief.
to put that another way, on mike smiths circumnavigation by sea rey, he describes:
landing at an abandoned airbase on the Aleutians. then refuelling. then waiting till about 11.00. pm. then taking off in the rain by the light of judiciously placed laser torches, flying blind on (uncertified ) MGL instruments till he achieved night vfr conditions, then flying 16 hrs over water to japan, in a light sport aircraft........
and some guy tries to cross banks strait ditches it and is now a felon for his trouble?
to put that yet another way, if all the people caught driving without licences were jailed, there wouldn't be an empty cell in Australia.