Fewer caught speeding,
but toll the same
From The West Australian
By Sean Cowan
November 15, 2004
Further doubts
have been cast over the effectiveness of speed cameras as a road safety
tool after revelations that fewer drivers are being caught speeding,
but the road toll has stayed the same.
Figures obtained
by The West Australian from the State Treasury and the Department
of Premier and Cabinet under Freedom of Information laws show that
income from red light cameras and Multanovas was down almost $9.5
million in 2002-2003.
While the final
details for 2003-2004 were not included in the internal emails which
outlined the 2002-2003 fall, indications from the Road Traumas Trust
Fund were that camera revenue fell again.
The RTTF, which
pays for road safety programs in WA, gets a third of all red light
and Multanova revenue. Its monthly reports revealed that income fell
by almost $300,000 in 2003-04, indicating fines were down about $1
million. Deaths were up by 13 to 184 in 2002-03. In 2003-04, 168 people
died on our roads. The RTTF's monthly reports also revealed that the
falls had not been expected, the agency's budgeted income falling
$2 million short in 2002-03 and $1.1 million short last financial
year.
The figures prompted
the State Government to last week top up the RTTF's funding by $4
million, with Community Safety Minister Michelle Roberts claiming
the agency had fallen victim to its own success.
Mrs Roberts said
its graphic and effective road safety campaigns had caused a significant
drop in the number of people being caught by red light cameras or
Multanovas.
"This is a
good news road safety story when there is less revenue from people
committing speeding infringements," she said. "It means
more people are taking care on the roads.
"We have invested
more than $210 million over the last four years into saving lives
and that approach is now paying dividends."
But road safety
shadow minister Katie Hodson-Thomas said drivers were simply being
more careful and often knew where Multanovas were placed. It was time
the cameras were placed in spots where accidents happened, instead
of being placed in an effort to maximise revenue, she said.
