Victoria's hidden agenda?
Changes to mobile speed camera deployment means they can now be completely concealed, with the amendments having immediate effectNew speed camera guidelines in Victoria make it legal for camera operators to be completely hidden from view.
Motorists driving in the south-eastern state may never know they've been snapped, as the new rules mean that mobile speed camera operators can now be completely hidden behind objects such as bushes or signs, under new changes that take effect today.
The amendment to the guidelines that govern what mobile speed camera operators can and can't do also allows them to now operate on hills, which means drivers run the risk of breaking the law if they forget to speed check while descending.
Speed cameras, or 'safety cameras' as termed by authorities, were originally designed to get motorists to slow down in high risk accident zones, but have increasingly been seen by the public as revenue raising devices, particularly in Victoria, due to their clandestine deployment.
Dozens of stationary speed cameras in Victoria have been well-hidden from view behind overhead signs and bridges on several freeways for years now.
While Victorian motorists may never know if they've been tagged by mobile speed cameras or are even in a black spot area, NSW laws are vastly different, requiring the cameras to be clearly marked with warning signs up to 250 metres away so that motorists understand the need to slow down.
Victoria Police has always contended that speed cameras play a vital role in reducing the state's road toll.
The new guidelines for mobile camera operators take effect today, and were influenced by the results of several 'sting' operations in Victoria's Yarra Ranges that claimed to reduce motorcycle accidents in the area by almost 50 per cent over a five-year timeframe.
Police officers wore camouflage gear and hid in the forest to nab speeding motorists.
The changes were flagged by the Victorian road safety camera commissioner, Gordon Lewis, who stated: "I recommended that Victoria Police revisit the prohibition on concealment of a mobile road safety camera vehicle or equipment contained in the Manual and state in clear terms the circumstances in which it will be permitted".
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