Victorian camera boss digs in
It has been debated -- and discredited ad nauseum – but the Victorian traffic camera office still wants frontal identification for motorcyclesVictoria’s Road Safety Camera Commissioner is determined to continue championing his case for frontal identification on motorcycles and scooters in Victoria -- even though the issue wasn’t supported in the recent Parliamentary Enquiry into Motorcycle Safety (here).
Commissioner Gordon Lewis has recommended that “immediate steps be taken to enable frontal identification on motorcycles and motor scooters” in his annual report to state parliament, which was tabled on September 5.
“What is relevant are the statistics relating to the number of motorcycles detected speeding which were not issued with infringement notices for the three subsequent financial years 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012,” said Mr Lewis in his report.
“This data, which I have obtained from Department of Justice, continues to show that a lack of frontal identification on motorcycles and motor scooters is the most common reason that riders of motorcycles and motor scooters who have been detected speeding are not issued with an infringement notice.
“This provides compelling evidence in support of my original recommendation that frontal identification is required on both motorcycles and motor scooters.”
“These figures, set out in Table 1 (see report, page 34) cement my argument that lack of frontal identification on motorcycles continues to be the most common reason that motorcycles are unable to be identified when they have been detected committing speed offences by road safety cameras. Compared with all other vehicles, this number is disproportionately high and places motorcycles at an advantage, compared with other vehicles.
“In the light of this new data, I am satisfied that the case for frontal identification of motorcycles is inarguable. Expressed in its simplest terms, during the financial years 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, of approximately 50,000 motorcyclists detected speeding, almost 20,000 were unable to be identified due to lack of frontal identification. That situation cannot be tolerated.”
Mr Lewis became Australia's first independent road safety camera commissioner in February, 2012, and in his first report to state parliament in August that year backed the introduction of frontal identification – and even wanted to make it retrospective.
Just three months later, the 535-page Victorian parliamentary inquiry into motorcycle safety remained silent on the subject – ie rejecting the argument -- which Mr Lewis described as “surprising”.
Other recommendations in the road safety commissioner’s report included:
- Images of variable speed limit signs, such as those installed on the Western Ring Road, be made available to motorists in addition to the images of their infringement offence; and
- Images of infringement offences detected by road safety cameras be made available to the public, free of charge, by way of a secure website. Currently, there is a $7.50 charge to view images.
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