Mixed reception for speed cameras as 0.7 million booked
With almost 700,000 Queenslanders booked for speeding last year, the government denies speed cameras are used mainly for revenue-raising.
Speed cameras brought in $69 million in revenue last year, while more than 110,000 people have been booked in the first two months of this year.
A Newsbytes street poll has found people divided about traffic cameras’ purpose.
One woman we interviewed said: “I think it’s all about revenue, it’s about making more money for the government.”
But the Transport and Main Roads Department says the issue is stopping road deaths.
“This isn’t about revenue raising but about saving lives,” a spokesperson said. “If you don’t go over the limit, you won’t be booked.
“The revenue from speed and red light cameras is minimal compared to cost speed-related crashes inflict on the community each year.”
In 2010-11, money from the camera detected offences helped fund $58,974 million, including road safety education and awareness programs, road accident injury rehabilitation programs and road funding to improve the safety of the sections of state-controlled roads where crashes happen most frequently.
“We make no apologies for wanting these numbers to drop. Every death on our roads is one death too many,” the spokesperson said.
Some in the community are cynical about the effectiveness of cameras.
“People just speed up after the camera anyway, it’s not really slowing people down,” one woman we interviewed said.
But a man said cameras were a very good idea as a way of improving public safety and motor vehicle safety.
The Queensland Camera Detected Offence Program involves a mix of mobile speed cameras, fixed speed cameras, red light cameras, combined red light/speed cameras and point-to-point speed camera systems.
The spokesperson said international experience showed a combination of education, enforcement and engineering initiatives could improve road safety.
“Together with the Queensland Police Service, we’re working on many different activities to reduce the potential for crashes, including speed management,” he said.
“It is an important component of the Queensland speed management strategy and overall approach to improving road safety in Queensland. The Camera Detected Offence Program has a proven record in reducing the road toll.
“Speeding is not, and will not be, tolerated on Queensland roads.”
I am sorry to say.. but as a very experienced driver who drives 70,000 km per year, it looks very much that way to me.I noticed recently that there are speed cameras and radars placed in areas that are “pretty safe” to exceed the signed speed.*(even though an offence) 1 example is the approach to the Ipswich motorway where the speed starts to pick up to 80 at Rocklea.
A patrol car parks behind the safety barrier as the cars start to speed up and there are no houses, no footpaths, no crossings, just workers going to work, with a guaranteed income to pay the fines. He whacks a driver every 10 minutes, and rakes in a fortune. If you turn right into the street from Bunnings, to 60 sign is easy to miss.
OK It”s lt’s legally correct… But it is morally wrong. the Police have been sent there to make money, while some person may be being attacked in some suburb and robbed.. Puts me right off them.
A few suggestions that WILL save lives… No1 Paint speed limits on the road in large text (they do it in Sydney).2. Have more police cars visible on the roads .In the tunnels.. have the slower (60) signs flashing, as they look exactly like the 80 signs, and you have to check every one in case they have changed. (They do it in Melbourne)
Put the devices whereby if a vehicle is over the limit, it could actually cause a serious incident, not parked at a bus stop at the bottom of a hill like in Sunnybank.The signs are all there.. They are out to MAKE MONEY.
Do they think that we are stupid or something ? They target the Driving, Working Public because they are guaranteed the revenue. If I exceed a posted speed sign limit, then I must pay the fine.You can’t argue, you can’t fight it.
To combat this you have to drive like an old woman and leave for appointments earlier. It will have NO affect on the road toll, and save NO lives.But will be cheaper. I was driving through a Brisbane tunnel yetserday at 80kmh (signed) when a 4WD started tailgating me. I dropped down to 75kmh to annoy the crap out if him, and not be forced over the 80kmh limit and be stuck with a fine. This Renenue hunt will bring traffic to a standstill.