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NEWS: Radar detector, police speeding
fine and laser jammer news 2004.
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.
Speed, camera and no
action
From The West
Australian
By Clyde Russell
June 19, 2004
Speed cameras are
nothing more than roadside revenue collectors or an
essential part of the drive to save lives, depending on
your perspective.
Are we getting value for our money and are the correct
policies being pursued?
The first thing that strikes you is that speed cameras
actually raise what is really an insignificant amount of
money.
In WA they are expected to raise $33 million in 2004-05.
This may seem like a lot of money, especially to the
half million or so motorists they will catch, but in
overall terms it is a spit in the bucket.
The overall State revenue for WA is forecast to be
$12.72 billion in 2004-05, making the contribution from
speed cameras only a tiny part of government revenue.
But there are some big numbers when it comes to road
safety. Try $15 billion for size. This was the amount
the Australian Transport Council estimated was the cost
of road fatalities across the country in 1996, the
latest figure they cited.
In WA, the Liberal opposition said road accidents cost
the State $1 billion a year, a figure that seems rather
low if you accept the national cost as being as high as
$15 billion.
One can conclude from this that road safety is therefore
very important, not only in terms of saving lives, but
also in terms of economic costs. To put it into
perspective, $15 billion is enough to scrap the top two
income tax brackets altogether, meaning the top rate
would then be 31.5 per cent for everybody.
For those who hate the idea of handing anything to the
so-called wealthy, how about this: $15 billion is enough
to raise the tax-free threshold for income from its
current $6000 a year to about $10,000 a year. So, any
saving we can make from lowering the road toll would be
very good indeed.
The question then becomes whether the correct tactics
are being followed, and here it becomes much more
contentious.
You divide the road safety lobby into roughly two
groups. These are the speed kills group and the other
factors are more important group.
Both sides have copious amounts of statistics to back
their positions and both tend to ignore the others
research in favour of their own.
But there are some hard facts. The most important one is
that the road toll in Australia, after declining
steadily for decades, has plateaued in recent years.
In global terms, our death toll of 9.3 deaths per
100,000, while well down on the 30.4 per 100,000 in
1970, is mid-range for developed countries. It is
perhaps no coincidence that the decline in the road toll
ended when speed cameras became widely used.
Research from overseas countries, particularly Britain
and Canada, show that speed cameras have had little
impact on reducing road tolls, and the Australian
experience so far bears this out. It is also interesting
to note that most road safety campaigns across Australia
focus almost exclusively on repeating the speed kills
mantra, with some focus on weariness as a driving risk.
Research from the Canadian province of British Columbia,
which did away with its speed cameras, found that more
than two-thirds of accidents occurred at speeds below
the posted limits.
Driver mistakes and inattention were far more often the
causes of accidents than speed, the research said.
The other major killer is road conditions. In fact, the
ATC says the most effective way to reduce the road toll
is to improve the quality of roads.
But fixing up roads and building better highways costs
lots of money, way more than buying speed cameras for
example.
Governments across Australia also appear to be trapped
in the speed kills view of road safety to the exclusion
of other ideas.
Whats more dangerous, a person traveling at 120kmh on a
near deserted freeway or a person driving at 55kmh in
the rain in an old technology four-wheel drive without
anti-lock brakes and tyre tread just the right side of
legal?
However, our freeway speeder will be caught by a camera
and fined while our four-wheel driver could plough into
a school bus while theoretically driving quite legally.
Why arent governments legislating the compulsory
fitment of anti-lock brakes and airbags? Like seatbelts
they are proven technology, but still many new cars are
sold without them.
Again, to do this is difficult, and far harder than
buying speed cameras.
No sensible person would argue for no speed limits. So
lets be sensible. Urban speed limits at 50kmh may well
help save lives, but at least make sure that good,
divided urban arterials enjoy higher limits.
Evidence from overseas suggests that higher speed
limits, of up to 130kmh, makes no difference to the
death or injury toll.
But taking on the speed kills lobby is hard. They have
an almost religious zeal that speed is the single most
important factor in road safety, rather than just one of
a series of important factors.
In economic terms, speed cameras raise little money and
dont appear to have helped reduce the road toll at all.
But I have a feeling the main cost of speed cameras is
social. They encourage people to watch their
speedometers more than the road ahead. They are also
viewed with justifiable cynicism by the public, and I
imagine they erode the respect that the public has for
law and order.
Visible policing, better roads, safer cars, better
trained drivers and fair application of the laws all
work more effectively at improving road safety than
speed cameras. But these cost money and take hard
effort, something speed cameras dont.
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.
Our speed cameras reap
millions from road where there are no deaths
From The West Australian
By Ben Harvey
April, 2004
THE Gallop Government's claim that speed cameras were
not revenue-raising tools was in tatters last night
after damning figures proved that Multanovas had
littered roads where there were no fatal crashes.
The statistics also revealed that nearly half of the
road black spots had not had a speed camera at any time
last year.
And further questions have been raised about camera
placements with evidence that operators have been
ignoring guidelines on where Multanovas are allowed.
Statistics tabled in State Parliament show that of 179
fatal crash sites last year, 86 did not have a Multanova
anywhere near them - before or after the crash.
Authorities also failed to place cameras at or near many
black spots even after multiple deaths in the area.
Four deaths in Albany could not convince operators to
move one of the State's 13 cameras there, despite two
deaths occurring on the same stretch of road.
Two deaths each in Port Hedland and Boddington did not
result in Multanovas being placed in or near those
towns.
But while motorists were dying on country roads,
fatality-free city streets were riddled with cameras.
Canning Highway in Como, Railway Parade in Karrakatta
and Wanneroo Road in Tuart Hill each had cameras on them
between 93 and 124 days.
Shadow transport minister Katie Hodson-Thomas said the
statistics proved authorities were happier to catch
people doing a few kilometres an hour over the limit in
the city than catch hundreds of people seriously
speeding in the country.
It is positive to see fewer deaths on roads where there
are Multanovas but if there are deaths in other areas
surely the cameras should be moved,' she said.
The State Opposition claimed the figures were the
smoking gun in the debate over whether Multanovas were
more about raising revenue than saving lives.
Multanovas and red light cameras bolstered treasury
coffers by $42,177,000 in 2001-02 and $46,779,000 in
2000-01.
Among many inconsistencies:_
Cameras were set up on 255 days on the blackspot-free
stretch of West Coast Highway between Trigg and City
Beach but were not placed once on nearby West Coast
Drive, where a person was killed.
Two road deaths on the freeway system - totalling 136km
- were used to justify hundreds of Multanova placements
last year and a blitz in May this year.
A spokesman for Police Minister Michelle Roberts said
Multanovas were placed at the discretion of police. A
police spokesman said public complaints could trigger a
Multanova being set up on a crash-free road.
Ms Hodson-Thomas also accused camera operators of
breaching an informal arrangement not to hide cameras,
place them at the base of hills or within 100m of a
change of speed sign.
Bad drivers endanger
emergency vehicles - NZ
From New Zealand Herald
By Unknown
January 25, 2004
Emergency services are being plagued by bad driving.
Ambulance, fire and police vehicles answering emergency
calls are being hampered by ignorant, panic-stricken or
"downright dangerous" driving.
Some people fail to pull over, others pull out in front,
and some even chase emergency vehicles in a hazardous
bid to escape traffic queues.
The situation was highlighted after an ambulance driver
was injured in a crash when he swerved to avoid a car in
Whangaparaoa.
The paramedic needed hospital treatment for back
injuries and the ambulance sustained $10,000 worth of
damage after it careered off the road while taking
evasive action.
"Only the paramedic's expert, professional driving
prevented the accident being a lot worse," said Patsy
Carlysle, St John Ambulance acting watch manager for
ambulance operations. Despite flashing lights and
blaring sirens, many drivers did not pull over or slow
down, she said.
Even more worrying was a small number of motorists who
followed an ambulance to beat traffic jams.
"I think the worst examples I've seen recently involve
boy racers following us while going 'priority one', even
going through red lights as we go through them." It
wasn't just boy racers though, she said; a variety of
drivers pulled the same trick on congested motorways.
It was particularly dangerous with ambulances weighing
in at 2.5 tonnes and being legally allowed to travel at
speeds of 130km/h, she added.
Fire service and police vehicles are experiencing the
same problem.
Drivers needed to realise they had to pull over, as part
of the road code, when they saw an emergency vehicle,
said Senior Sergeant Geoff Logan.
A Fire Brigade spokesman confirmed it was a problem but
said it was not extreme because the size of fire engines
meant motorists usually got out of the way.
Ms Carlysle said: "Every time we respond to an urgent
call we take our lives into our own hands - and this is
exacerbated by other motorists' driving that is bad or
downright dangerous.
"It is a credit to the professionalism of St John and
the responsible majority of driving public that
ambulances travel around 12.5 million kilometres a year
mostly without incident.
"But the minority are taking risks with their own lives,
the lives of our drivers and the lives we are trying to
save."
Road rules DO:
* Pull over as far left as possible
* Check your rear-vision mirror
* Be courteous DON'T:
* Chase emergency vehicles
* Pull on to the right side of the road
* Stop with an emergency vehicle behind you
* Overtake emergency vehicles
* Stay on the outside lane just because there is room to
pass on the inside
Most speeders caught
near city
From The West
Australian
By Susan Hewitt
January 13, 2004
Figures show big drop
in number of offenders and revenue from cameras
Drivers are most likely to get caught by a speed camera
in inner city suburbs.
Documents obtained by The West Australian under
Freedom of Information legislation show half the suburbs
where most drivers are caught and fined are those
immediately surrounding the Perth central business
district.
West Perth, Victoria Park, East Perth, Perth and
Burswood are five of the ten suburbs where the highest
number of speed camera infringement notices were issued
in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 financial years.
But figures show there has been a big drop in the number
of people being caught.
In 2001-02, the Government made more than $46 million by
fining nearly half the licensed WA drivers issuing
567,479 speed and red light camera fines.
The following year, 416,794 Multanova and red light
camera infringement notices were issued which raised $33
million.
The revised budget for this financial year is about
$32.5 million, but based on figures already available
for the first three months of the year July, August
and September that could be as low as $27 million.
The officer in charge of the police camera section, Sen
Sgt Carl Fisher, said that in ten years the number of
people checked by speed cameras was 20 times bigger but
the percentage of those speeding had dropped by more
than two-thirds.
Rough figures showed that in 1992, of one million cars
checked, 62 per cent were speeding.
In 2002, police checked 20 million cars and only 16.5
per cent of them were speeding.
Sen Sgt Fisher said there was a good chance drivers had
learnt to predict where Multanovas would be placed and
slowed down in anticipation, but that was still an
effective anti-speeding tactic.
Seventy-four per cent of the Multanova camera locations
are crash-related sites so if people are slowing down
they are starting to learn and do the right thing, he
said.
Police Minister Michelle Roberts said she had had
discussions with Police Commissioner Barry Matthews to
try to find ways of reducing public cynicism toward the
placement of Multanovas.
She also planned to review the controversial Speed
Camera Placement Committees function and said there
would be an announcement from the commissioner on both
matters soon.
Sen Sgt Fisher said the number of operational Multanovas
in WA had gradually increased and for the last three
years there had been no reduction in the number of
camera operators or the hours that Multanovas were in
operation.
He believed people were slowing down around known camera
locations, but there were constantly growing new suburbs
police were not able to monitor with speed cameras.
In November last year, a Multanova was placed
permanently with Peel police, but it would be difficult
with current operating systems to put more in place.
They were not cost-effective in country areas, where
traffic was light.
He said there were no plans to scale down Multanova
operations.
SPEED TRAPS
The 10 suburbs where the highest number of speed camera
infringement notices were issued;
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