Speed cameras clock up
$52m
From Sydney Morning Herald
By Robert Wainwright, State Political
Correspondent
December 28, 2003
The State Government
raked in more than $52 million last financial year from its fixed
speed cameras on the city's roads, new figures have revealed.
A report by the
NSW Auditor-General showed 460,067 drivers were caught during the
year by cameras, at a rate of 1,260 each day - double the number of
a year ago and seven times the number in 1995 when the Carr Government
was first elected.
The State Government
has installed an extra 32 cameras over the past 12 months.
The most lucrative
are on Spit Road, at Mosman, and in the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, which
are each earning around $20,000 a day and catching a speeding driver
every eight minutes.
Other high-earning
camera locations include Concord Road, at Concord; Elizabeth Drive,
at Bonnyrigg; Bell's Line of Road, at Kurrajong Heights; Pacific Highway,
at Gateshead; Delhi Road, at Macquarie Park; New England Highway,
at Lochinvar; Gibson Avenue, at Padstow; and the Princes Highway at
North Wollongong.
The Leader of the
Opposition, Kerry Chikarovski, pounced on the figure, accusing the
Government of using speed cameras for revenue raising at the expense
of road safety.
"These figures shatter the Government's credibility on road safety.
They show the Government's primary interest is revenue raising rather
than addressing the real problem of road safety in our community,"
she said.
"Fixed cameras
by the side of the road are no substitute for visible pro-active police
patrols which reinforce to motorists the need for care and safety
on our roads.
"Receiving a fine in the mail weeks after the offence has absolutely
no deterrent value on the road on the day a motorist is breaking the
speed limit."
The Minister for
Police, Michael Costa, interpreted Mrs Chikarovski's comments as an
attack on the police service, denying the use of cameras was a revenue-raising
exercise.
"The Opposition is being entirely irresponsible, and they risk
undermining the crucial holiday road safety campaign," Mr Costa
said.
"This is about
saving lives, not raising revenue.
"The annual
road toll is currently 528, 65 less than the same time last year,
and I am advised by police that NSW is days away from achieving the
lowest ever annual road toll since records began 50 years ago. The
previous record low was 556 in 1998.
"The Opposition
should be applauding police for this reduction, and not attacking
them for trying to save lives."
Extract from www.transport.wa.gov.au
Where does the money go from speed camera fines?
As you may have discovered, speeding is one of the fastest ways to
lose money. But when you consider our state's road toll, you'll find
that many Western Australians have paid a much higher price for their
speeding.
Why do we need speed cameras?
Speed cameras are on our roads for one very simple reason; to save
lives. Since their introduction in 1990, research has shown that speed
cameras are highly effective in slowing motorists down and reducing
vehicle crash rates.
Speed cameras are typically placed in, or around high-risk areas or
crash "black spots." The continued presence of cameras in
these locations serves as an ongoing reminder for motorists to slow
down on our roads.
Where does my money go?
One third of the money collected from speed camera infringements are
put into the Road Trauma Trust Fund which supports various road safety
programs.
Improving road safety co-ordination and supporting community education,
are some of the worthwhile initiatives which are supplemented by speed
camera fines.
