26 October 2020

More mobile cameras set to patrol Canberra's speeding hotspots

| Ian Bushnell
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Mobile speed camera

More on the way: the ACT’s mobile speed camera coverage will soon be even greater. Photos: File.

Leadfoot drivers beware – the ACT’s speed detection net is about to be widened with the addition of two new mobile cameras as part of the government’s road safety program.

They have been a long time coming, being first announced back in June last year.

Last week the government awarded a half a million-dollar, two-year contract for the two new mobile speed cameras and maintenance of the fleet to Victorian-based traffic technology specialists Vitronic Machine Vision.

This will bring the number of mobile cameras in the fleet to 11.

The deal also includes an upgrade to the existing cameras, new computer hardware and standardisation of the technology across the fleet so they can be interchangeable across the traffic camera network.

The mobile cameras can detect speeds across six lanes of oncoming and outgoing traffic depending on their location.

The decision to boost the mobile camera fleet was based on an independent report into the ACT’s Road Safety program which found that they have saved more than $60 million in road trauma costs each year.

Computer display on the inside of mobile speed van

The computer display on the inside of mobile speed van.

Monash University’s Accident Research Centre analysed 1,139 unique locations of mobile speed cameras.

The report said the mobile speed cameras program had reduced accidents by around 22 per cent between September 2016 and September 2017 and prevented up to 120 casualty crashes that could have resulted in a fatality or injury, and 2,900 property damage crashes.

The data also showed that over 80 per cent of crashes in the ACT occurred within 0.5 km of a site used at one or more times for mobile speed camera enforcement.

The government believes the two additional mobile speed cameras will prevent an additional 11 casualty crashes and over 170 property crashes per year.

The mobile speed camera program results in about 30,000 fines being issued a year, generating about $10 million in revenue.

Road Safety Minister Shane Rattenbury said last year he hoped the community would appreciate the benefit of mobile speed cameras.

“I think it is important for the community to see the value in mobile speed cameras. There is cynicism sometimes around cameras and hopefully, people will see they have a significant impact on road safety.”

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More vans fewer cops! Love that Canberra is becoming more bike friendly. Let’s keep commute times sub 15 mins.

How does one get caught by a speed camera van, seriously, they are big, white, can see them a mile away…

Also what about all the people who run res lights……. I am new to Canberra and always look beforehand leaving my green light…… scary

I don’t mind the speed cameras I had been driving for 29 years before my first ticket. I was overtaking a truck where the speed limit changed from 80 to 60 and the truck covered the camera, I was surprised to say the least. Then a few months back In Canberra I was pulling into a 80 zone and just sped up as not to annoy the person behind me and got done by a mobile camera for 8 over ? jeez felt a bit robbed on that one. I know speeding kills and I bet harassed if I do the speed limit. Also tailgaters should get fined and also people who drive during the day when it’s raining and can’t see the car in front cause it has no lights on should be fined too…… and people who drive in the right lane for no reason should get fined too. Lol probably people want me fined for posting this ?

rationalobserver5:46 pm 28 Oct 20

They are just ramping up in anticipation of fining any fossil fuel powered vehicle that dares travel on the ACT’s extra wide multi lane bike paths of the future (formally known as roads).

Road safety = We are seeking new revenue streams.
Also amazing I never see these on anything but long straight bits of road, usually at the bottom of a hill.

The most common danger I notice driving around is red light running (which usually involves speeding up or at the very least not slowing down through the intersection). It’s hard to miss when you’re facing a green and there’s a car or bus still going through the intersection. Next is cars weaving in lanes as the head bobs up and down looking at a mobile phone. New investment in technology in these areas appears to be about nil. The easiest offence to measure, observe and prove is a vehicle 5k -10k over the limit.

Driver innattention (of which mobile phones is an example) may be harder to police and therefore more costly ie new technology and infrastructure or cops on the beat. Road design is also a culprit but very costly to remedy. The point is, it’s hard not to come to the conclusion about speed cameras when the visible weight and primary focus is on this major revenue earning solution and competing revenue expense strategies are always the last thing to be funded.
Germany with unrestricted speeds on autobahns has less road deaths per 100,000 population than Australia. We focus on 5-10k, they focus on driver culture and road design.
https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2015/TableA2.pdf?ua=1

I agree that red light running is a huge problem. I see people speed up to make it through a “just red light” and even people stopping, then decide to go through them because no traffic is coming.

Instead of more mobile speed vans, I would have liked the money to be spent on more red light cameras.

Absolutely concur, but as you know we live in a world of “the Government is responsible for saving me” politics 🙁

Funny you mention Germany because autobahns aside on roads where there is a set limit they have a next to zero tolerance on speeding.

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