18 June 2012

Strategy development averts wrath? Speed Cameras get strategised

| johnboy
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speed camera

Despite having a great many speed cameras around the ACT; Chief Minister Gallagher has announced she’s started working on a strategy for them.

“The development of the ACT Road Safety Camera Strategy will include the consideration of the role and use of cameras in speed enforcement, site selection criteria, the process for considering expansion of the existing safety camera network, as well as an evaluation of the cameras,” the Chief Minister said.

“It is important in making future investments in the use of safety camera technology that the ACT is clear about the role that different types of cameras – fixed, mobile and point to point, can play in achieving the road safety outcomes they are intended for.

“Being able to measure those outcomes is important to ensure that the community is able to see that its investment in this technology is an important component of the ACT Road Safety Strategy, and speed management approach, in particular.

One can’t help but think that this recent blossoming of strategies (last week we did freight) might be a cunning way of deterring angry voters in the lead up to an election this October.

“Yes we hear your concerns, we’re working on a strategy, we’ll tell you all about it after you return us to office”.

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Watson said :

Don’t care what they call them personally. I would like to see more speed cameras around school zones and in residential areas. But I am happy for them to be used for the main purpose of revenue raising too. If people are happy to donate money to the government in that way, why on earth not? A ‘slow learner’ tax sure beats increasing rates or car rego.

How about common sense when building schools?

The ‘super’ school in Kambah built right next to 80km arterial road!

Northbourne – Main arterial road though civic in the most pedestrian busy area. Not a single overpass!

In my head i always read safety camera as money camera!

I wonder what the cost of driving while tired is in Canberra in terms of:
* Cost to the individual
* Cost to hospitals and doctors and nurses
* Cost to insurance companies
* Cost to road infrastructure
* Cost to police

Alas perhaps the government is so adamant on not having a decent public transport network/ light rail because they are scared people will actually use it. Then if more do they will lose out on all these money camera profits.

p1 said :

dph said :

There’s a really easy way to beat speed cameras… Don’t speed.

There is an equally easy way – slow down as you go past the camera. Obviously this doesn’t work with point to point, but there aren’t many of them yet.

does work with point-to-point cameras.

cranky said :

…….And ban motorcycles.

Why ban motorcycles? Even if they were at fault, at least they usually only hurt or kill themselves. Errant car drivers tend to kill or injure others. (Side note: I still don’t understand why CTP is so high for motorcyclists given the few pillons that seem to be reported in accidents).

Watson said :

Don’t care what they call them personally. I would like to see more speed cameras around school zones and in residential areas. But I am happy for them to be used for the main purpose of revenue raising too. If people are happy to donate money to the government in that way, why on earth not? A ‘slow learner’ tax sure beats increasing rates or car rego.

Agree totally. At least then the revenue could be used to fund extra police presence who could target other offences such as indicators and dangerous driving.

Don’t care what they call them personally. I would like to see more speed cameras around school zones and in residential areas. But I am happy for them to be used for the main purpose of revenue raising too. If people are happy to donate money to the government in that way, why on earth not? A ‘slow learner’ tax sure beats increasing rates or car rego.

dph said :

There’s a really easy way to beat speed cameras… Don’t speed.

There is an equally easy way – slow down as you go past the camera. Obviously this doesn’t work with point to point, but there aren’t many of them yet.

There’s a really easy way to beat speed cameras… Don’t speed.

Sounds like they realised their mistake with the 2nd set of interval average speed cameras that were designed to fail.

Any mistake by a government is met with a new strategy, even if they dont admit their mistake.

I also wonder that the numbers are for other traffic offences are?
One would think dangerious driving would be more dangerious than speeding 10km/h over on a road that in the ACT likely used to have a speed limit 10km higher.

is this a cart before the horse situation? put cameras in over the last few years, and now develop a strategy for their installation and use. will they remove existing cameras that don’t meet the strategy?

or does an area of the ACT Local Council need something to do? if so, wonder how much of it will be cut ‘n paste!?!

The speed cameras preferred by Govco are revenue raisers, pure and simple.

If road safety was the concern, EVERY set of traffic lights would have a red light camera attached.

And ban motorcycles.

There will be no safety cameras in Civic, as ACTGOV speak only recognises the existence of ‘City’.

Felix the Cat4:10 pm 18 Jun 12

Wish they would stop calling them “safety cameras”, very little to do with safety and mostly to do with revenue raising – and no I’m not ranting because I got pinged, last speeding fine I got was about 5 years ago and it was a real live cop that gave it to me and I deserved it.

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