News
10 Nov 2017
Are we any safer? Speed cameras rake in $1.1 billion
By Paul Maric - caradvice.com.au
Speed cameras have raked in a staggering $1.1 billion in Australia over a one year period in financial year 2017, and we can reveal the top three locations in each state.
​
The numbers come on the back of a staggering 217 per cent increase in deaths on NSW roads for November compared to the same period last year, and a 15 per cent jump in the Victorian road toll last year.
​
It begs the question, are speed cameras working? Are the roads safer with our strict speeding laws? And what can be done to solve the issue?
​
Victoria led the charge on speed camera revenue, followed by Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and then Western Australia.
​
Victoria: $363.15 million
-
Warrigal Road and Batesford Road, Chadstone
-
Fitzroy Street and Lakeside Drive, St Kilda
-
Flinders Street and William Street, Melbourne
​
New South Wales: $193.92 million
-
Eastern Distributor, northbound, Darlinghurst
-
Cross City Tunnel, westbound, East Sydney
-
Botany Road, southbound, Rosebery
​
Queensland: $226 million
-
Legacy Way Tunnel, Brisbane
-
Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach
-
Pacific Motorway, Loganholme
​
South Australia: $174 million
-
South Eastern Freeway, Leawood Gardens
-
South Eastern Freeway, Crafers
-
Montague Road, Ingle Farm
​
Western Australia: $97 million
-
Roe Highway, Beckenham
-
Great Eastern Highway, Burlong
-
Graham Farmer Freeway, Burswood
​
Tasmania: Over $1 million
-
Brooker Highway, Rosetta
-
Tasman Highway, western side
-
Bass Highway, East Devonport
​
Across the country, revenue from speed cameras goes into a state roads fund to improve roads and tackle the road toll.
​
But how much of that revenue actually goes into better roads? If you’re in South Australia, it’s not a great deal. According to the 2015 South Australia Road Safety Annual Report, only $34 million of the total $81 million netted from speed cameras was put into fixing roads and making them safer.
​
Of the remaining $46.3 million, $3.3 million was put into purchasing and servicing speed cameras, $35.58 million into the road safety policing program, $5.5 million into research, advertising and policy advice, and $3.57 million into driver education programs, with the rest distributed amongst miscellaneous services. That means the fund was operating at a loss, presumably with the expectation of topping it up the following year with more speed camera revenue – which is what happened.