I’ve always loved the fact that English can make the simplest thing ambiguous. I take it ‘positive impact’ means lowering accident rates, injuries and death?

I’ll have to go looking for those studies as I’d be interested to see their methodology and results. About ten speed camera whinges back you say…

Personally, I have no idea why we ‘have’ to signpost the buggers; it all seems too ‘sporting’.

leahcim said :

“The ever-shrinking content on the Canberra Times website”

An interesting point in itself…

I’m beginning to wonder why they don’t just replace all the complicated gubbins with a short note saying “please buy the paper”.

“The ever-shrinking content on the Canberra Times website”

An interesting point in itself…

I posted a bunch of links to Australian and international studies showing speed cameras have a significant positive impact on crashes, injuries and deaths about ten speed camera threads ago. Nobody bothered to comment on them. Why let the facts get in the way of a good whinge?

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

‘Cameras per capita’ is an entirely meaningless statistic, particularly when you’re comparing a vast geographical area like NSW, with its diverse mix of urban, regional and remote communities, with a single town.

My thoughts exactly, I would guess you would have fewer cameras per capita in rural/small town areas, meaning the stats will be a bit distorted. A more accurate comparison would be Canberra vs Sydney vs Melbourne etc.

…and even that is being generous given the line markings on entry to the roundabout that make it pretty clear you need to slow down.

Secondly, if we must pay taxes why not take the money from those on our roads who can’t manage to drive at the right speed? Are revenue raising speed cameras a bad thing in any way?

Probably not. But be honest with people and don’t flog them off as being anything other than revenue raisers.

Sure there might be one or two fixed speed cameras in the ACT that are actually based on a safety need, certainly that argument could be put forward for all red light cameras, but I’m struggling to think of a fixed speed camera placed in Canberra that would be addressing a safety “blackspot”. The only ones I can think of, off the top of my head, are the cameras either side of the roundabout on the Federal Hwy exit just past EPIC.

Can’t we be ‘Capitalists’ instead?

As for speed cameras, I have no problem with pinging people who break the speed limit, but I do have issues with the way the cameras are marketed as a solution to accidents. If accidents and road deaths are such a big deal (and they are and should be), why are we letting a simple digital camera (that only looks at speeding, not drink or reckless driving) take responsibility for keeping us safe?

harvyk1 said :

Whilst I don’t like speed cameras and don’t believe they are anything more than revenue raising, at least they are properly signposted unlike the ones in Vic.

But there are signs everywhere saying “Speed Cameras are used in Victoria”, just like there are in most states (and territories).
But, dang it, if they don’t have nice big signs right next to the cameras, how do we know where to drop our speed back to below the limit and when it’s safe to break the law?!

‘Cameras per capita’ is an entirely meaningless statistic, particularly when you’re comparing a vast geographical area like NSW, with its diverse mix of urban, regional and remote communities, with a single town.

I suppose in a technical sence we are Territorians, but lets see how far you’d get if you said that in the NT.

Whilst I don’t like speed cameras and don’t believe they are anything more than revenue raising, at least they are properly signposted unlike the ones in Vic.

Deano said :

when did we become “Territorians”

‘Canberran’ is a better understood, more widely used and accepted term, surely?!

There used to be a local newspaper here called The Territorian. In 1969 it changed its name to The Courier before closing in 1974.

when did we become “Territorians”

I blame the Tharwians and their push for a separate identity to the rest of Canberra.

I’ve often referred to myself as a ‘Territorian’, although it’s usually when I’m trying to let people think I’m from the Northern one, rather than the Capital one.

And I’d like to see how the revenue generated by those speed cameras compares with their operating costs.