Mobile Speed Cameras Are Back (NSW)

[pharkit]

Mobile speed cameras are back

JOSEPHINE TOVEY AND DEBORAH SNOW

March 29, 2010

THE state government has bowed to pressure from police and road safety experts and reintroduced mobile speed cameras as part of a $170 million effort to reduce the road toll.

The package, to be announced by the Minister for Transport, David Campbell, this morning, includes a $50 million safety audit of six main highways, $50 million worth of repairs and upgrades to areas with a high level of crashes and an increase in speeding fines of 5 per cent.

But it is the reintroduction of the cameras that is the most politically sensitive part of the package for the embattled government.

In January the Herald revealed that Assistant Police Commissioner, John Hartley, had written to the government advocating the release of the cameras.

These cameras can be covertly operated by civilian contractors working from unmarked cars parked by the side of the road.

Motoring groups such as the NRMA advocate ''high visibility'' measures that are well advertised to motorists.

In an effort to stem a backlash from motorists and head off claims of ''revenue raising'', the government will make the possible locations of the new cameras well known through the Roads and Traffic Authority website.

The Herald also understands that cars operating the units will be marked.

According to Mr Campbell, six cameras will begin operating at mobile units across the state from July 19.

They will be placed on roads with a ''known crash history''and the roads will be listed and updated on the RTA website every three months.

The chairman of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, Harold Scruby, said making drivers aware of camera locations was a ''cop-out''.

''The campaign in Victoria has been 'anywhere any time','' he said. ''Here it will be: we're going to tell where and when so you can be prepared.''

However, he welcomed the package as a significant step forward for road safety in NSW.

In Victoria, a government website lists all the 2500 sites where its 30 mobile cameras might be on any given day.

In another attempt to soften the impact of the cameras, there will be a one-month period of grace in which motorists caught speeding by a mobile speed camera will receive a warning but not an infringement.

It is understood they will not be operated by police but by the RTA or civilian contractors.

It is not known whether the government will increase the number of cameras from six but Mr Campbell said the cam- eras would be operating for 12,200 hours a month by July next year.

The Deputy Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety in Victoria, Ken Lay, said 30 cameras operated for 9000 hours a month in that state. This suggests that more cameras will be needed to reach the NSW target.

''In Victoria the mobile speed cameras are the centrepiece of our road safety campaign. We know that they work and we know that they save lives,'' Mr Lay said.

In NSW last year 46 per cent of fatalities involved speeding and last week the state notched up its 100th fatality since the start of the year.

Mr Campbell said the government intended to get motorists to slow down everywhere - not just near cameras.

"I would be thrilled if these cameras didn't collect one cent - it would mean motorists are getting the message that speeding is not OK," Mr Campbell said.

A study in 2003 by the Monash University Accident Research Centre found a significant reduction in accidents following the full implementation of a well publicised, covert mobile speed camera program.

The highway safety audit - another platform of the package to be announced today - will initially target the Great Western, Mid Western and Mitchell highways, with audits also planned for the Oxley, Sturt and New England highways.

Other measures include $45 million worth of funding to local councils to fix their unsafe roads, and $4 million for pedestrian fencing at pedestrian crash hotspots.

Edited 28/03/10 01:46 PM by pharkit

[NB4C]

Fark, the govt is investing our taxpayer money in a system that milks even more money out of us. We are getting royally shafted.

Edited 29/03/10 10:35 AM by NB4C

[azasturbo]

Yes im sure this will be very effective in cutting the road toll.

Wouldnt want to try something that actually may work when you can do things to make extra cash.

[tab]

That sucks...has been one of the pleasures of driving on NSW roads, knowing that you can actually focus on the road and not be constantly staring at your dash.

Give it time and you'll have about a thousand of the fckers like up here once they realise what a great revenue stream they are under the guise of saving lives...even though most speed-related accidents are actually under-the-limit 'speeding'.

Harold Scruby

Haven't heard from this joker for a while...was sort of hoping he'd fcked off and died. Bugger.

[pharkit]

Matter of time before they find a clever way to operate them without the warning signs. They're only putting up the signs so no one moans too loud, but getting rid of the signs is when the real $ start coming in.

On a side note, was at the intersection where the 'Safety Camera' in Habberfield is. I literally saw it go off 3 times in around 30 seconds, and the cars didn't look like they were much over the limit, maybe only 5-6km. And it wasn't flashing a bright white light like a few months back, it was the low-key red 'blink' you see on the digital cameras. Does anyone know if it catches the motorists heading towards the city, or is it just in the opposite direction?

[Iconic Bionic]

Where all to be bent over by these new cameras. Everyone one of us will be screwed. It has nothing to do with road safety and were all letting this happen far to easily. At the same time of there release the fine amounts for all speeding will also go up. What a coincidece. They will serve no real purpose and make all our traffic records go to sh*t. Only last year they introduced the new speeding ranges, increased the fines and points and now 9 months later the new cameras and another rise in the fines.

Vote this government out and ensure the liberals sh!t can this as part of there policy.

Its not the role of the RTA and now private contractors to do the job of the police. It never has been but its definatley cheaper.

I.B.

Edited 31/03/10 06:42 AM by Iconic Bionic

[Rootster]

looks like the special number plates covers will find there way back onto my car...

[ZAP]

We all need to invest in anti speed detection devices like Trapster, RD's and GPS.

We should also all carry around paintball guns and shoot the lenses of these camers as a part of civil disobediance

The RTA can GAGF and will never see my money from their new Scameras

[dule]

Instead of watching for road hazards, cars turning, cyclists, pedestrians etc we'll be looking for parked cars that could have a camera.

Wonder if these operators will cop abuse like parking officers do, or they will just park the cars and leave.

[rockafellqeinstien]

I seriously dont know how these jokers stay in power (how they got re-elected last time, ill never know).

NSW must have some real dumbarse residents.

ANyone that cant see the link between increasing Fine revenue and a financially screwed state government is an idiot.

I am just going to come out and say it - Democracy doesnt work :smilecouncil: