NSW speed camera numbers set to soar

A recently released NSW speed camera review has found the cameras are improving road safety, so guess what? More units are on the way...

A new report from the NSW Centre for Road Safety -- a NSW Government body founded in 2007 to "change cultural values on road safety in NSW" and "convince drivers that speeding is socially unacceptable" -- has found that both fixed and mobile speed cameras, and red-light speed cameras, are having a positive impact on the state's motor vehicle accident statistics.

The report, titled Annual NSW Speed Camera Performance Review, comes soon after the NSW Government's NSW Speed Camera Strategy released on June 1, 2012, and was developed in collaboration with the NSW Police Force and NRMA to analyse the effectiveness of the state's speed cameras in view of the objectives laid out in the government's speed camera strategy.

NSW currently has 139 fixed speed cameras in operation across 110 locations, 106 red-light speed cameras at 91 intersections, 24 lengths of point-to-point speed cameras, and 642 locations for mobile speed cameras, the latter achieving a combined total of 930 hours of enforcement per month.

In 2011 fixed speed cameras issued 313,840 infringement notices with fine revenue totalling $51.32m. In the same year, the use of mobile speed cameras generated some 16,544 tickets worth $2.58m, while red-light safety cameras issued 156,790 infringements with a total fine revenue of $42.1m. Point-to-point speed cameras led to 289 infringements in 2011, totalling fine revenue of $83,782.

The report found that, generally speaking, the use of these various speed camera formats has contributed to an appreciable reduction in crashes and the resultant injuries and fatalities, while also leading to a change in motorist behaviour and a marginal reduction in average travel speeds, with a significant reduction in speeding at fixed camera sites. A total of 376 road fatalities were recorded in NSW in 2011 -- the second lowest figure on record since 1944, in which 371 fatalities were recorded. The lowest figure since 1944 was recorded in 2008, with 374 fatalities.

However, the report found that there was an increase in speeding in 100km/h zones compared to the period 2008 to 2010, with a resultant increase in accidents. Unsurprisingly, these speed zones -- commonly also rural roads -- are a heightened priority for the state's speed camera programme moving forward.

The report ends with summary of the massive expansion of the state's speed camera numbers in coming months, including:

An additional 500 mobile 'high-risk' speed camera locations
A rise in mobile speed camera vehicles from six to around 45 by July 2012 (operating at 2500 locations for a total of around 7000 hours each month)
An increase in red-light speed camera locations from 91 to 200 by the end of 2014
The installation of two new point-to-point speed camera sections on the Pacific Highway, between Tyndale and Harwood and Wardell and Ballina

A review is also to be conducted of several areas of major NSW highways for their suitability for speed camera installation, while the signage alerting motorists to the presence of red-light speed cameras will be doubled in sizes. Mobile speed cameras will also become more identifiable, with better markings on the cars themselves and advanced signage now 250m before the camera (currently the signage is just 50m ahead). Finally, safety reviews will be conducted at four speed camera locations -- if the cameras aren't deemed to be meeting their safety objectives, they will be removed.

To read the report for yourself, click here.

What do you think about the NSW Government's intentions regarding speed cameras? Will more cameras further reduce the state's annual road toll? The team at the Bikesales Network would love to hear your thoughts...

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NSW speed camera numbers set to soar

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