Victoria gets 32 new speed and red light cameras

[vztrt]

Just a few more to add to the many....least the Preimer promised no more speed cameras at the last election.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/140202/v...light-cameras/

Victoria gets 32 new speed and red light cameras
By Paul Maric | October 3rd, 2011

The Victorian Government today announced that 32 new speed and red light cameras will be switched on gradually over the coming weeks and months.

The first eight of the speed and red light cameras will be switched on from tomorrow.

Victorian Police Minister, Peter Ryan, said that the decision was made to switch the cameras on (which were installed, but not activated by the previous government) following a favourable Auditor-General report. The report released by Victoria’s Auditor-General claimed that speed cameras (fixed and mobile) were not primarily used to raise revenue in Victoria.

The report failed to show a direct correlation between speed cameras and the reduction in road toll and also made no mention of the effect of vehicle safety improvements since the speed camera program’s implementation. These improvements include, but are not limited to ABS, ESP, crumple zones, vehicle material changes, additional airbags and advanced car safety systems.

Revenue from speeding drivers and red-light runners reaped almost $500million for the Victorian Government in the previous financial year and despite a record increase in revenue and number of fixed and mobile speed cameras, Victoria’s road toll has plateaued over recent years.

80% of drivers nabbed by Victorian mobile and fixed speed cameras last financial year were travelling under 10km/h over the prescribed speed limit.

The full list of new speed and red light cameras is listed below (those in bold will be switched on from tomorrow):

- Ballarat Rd at Ashley St, Maidstone
- Barkly St at Carlisle St, St Kilda
- Canterbury Rd at Colchester Rd, Kilsyth South
- Cemetery Rd West at Royal Parade, Parkville
- City Rd at Montague St, Sth Melbourne
- Dandenong Rd at Warrigal Rd, Malvern East
- Dandenong Rd at Clayton Rd at Oakleigh East
- Denmark St at Barkers Rd, Kew
- Exhibition St at Victoria St, Melbourne
- Fitzroy St at Lakeside Drive, St Kilda
- Heatherton Rd at Monash Fwy, Doveton
- Hoddle St at Wellington Pde, East Melbourne
- Hoddle St at Johnston St, Collingwood
- Kings Rd at Melton Hwy, Taylors Lakes
- Mahoneys Rd at High St, Thomastown
- Maribyrnong Rd at Mt Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds
- Maroondah Hwy at Springvale Rd, Nunawading
- Nicholson St at Princes St, Carlton
- Princes Hwy at Sth Gippsland Fwy, Eumemmerring
- Princes Hwy at Elonera Rd, Noble Park North
- Prospect Hill Rd at Burke Rd, Camberwell
- Punt Rd at High St, Prahran
- Punt Rd at Toorak Rd, South Yarra
- Raglan Pde at Mahoneys Rd, Warrnambool
- South Gippsland Hwy at Thompsons Rd, Cranbourne North
- Springvale Rd at Lower Dandenong Rd at Braeside
- St Kilda Rd at Kings Way, Melbourne
- Stud Rd at Heatherton Rd, Dandenong
- Warrigal Rd at North Rd, Oakleigh
- Warrigal Rd at Centre Dandenong Rd, Cheltenham
- Warrigal Rd at Batesford Rd at Chadstone
- Williamsons Rd at Doncaster Rd, Doncaster

[Simple6]

mmmmmmm NSW just looks that little bit better!

[BFZ Wagon]

That's a shame. I was starting to like Victoria. Now it looks even less of a nice place to live.
They certainly love their revenue raising devices down there.. Sorry...I mean 'speed cameras for road safety'...

This bit '80% of drivers nabbed by Victorian mobile and fixed speed cameras last financial year were travelling under 10km/h over the prescribed speed limit.' is quite scary but not surprising. Victoria is the state of '1km/h over and you're gone'.

I guess Victoria would be an ok place to live in if you never had to drive anywhere.

[drew`SEVNT5]

Originally Posted by BFZ Wagon

That's a shame. I was starting to like Victoria. Now it looks even less of a nice place to live.
They certainly love their revenue raising devices down there.. Sorry...I mean 'speed cameras for road safety'...

This bit '80% of drivers nabbed by Victorian mobile and fixed speed cameras last financial year were travelling under 10km/h over the prescribed speed limit.' is quite scary but not surprising. Victoria is the state of '1km/h over and you're gone'.

I guess Victoria would be an ok place to live in if you never had to drive anywhere.

********. It is a rare occasion when I am doing less than 5kph over the limit, and have never been caught by one of these fixed speed/redlight cameras.

99% of the time the pursuit car on the side of the road doesn't blink either, have occasionally been alongside one at 105 in a 100 zone, they just point at the speedo, you slow down a lil, and they go on there way.

[yanknbank]

Whilst the addition of another 32 speed cameras in itself is annoying, the thing that really bugs me, is just how quick the state government has gone from sounding at least half sensible about road safety issues while in opposition, to the position they took yesterday where we had Peter Ryan spouting the same old claptrap and bullsh!t we've been hearing from the previous governmnt and the TAC for years.
I was hoping for a slightly more enlightened approach (if only ever so slightly)from the current lot of pollies, than what had gone before.
I should've known better.

[Ben73]

I guess drivers were slowing down near all the other cameras, which resulted in less revenue. They figured out 32 cams will make up the difference and then some.
Soon there will be more cameras then cars in Vic.

[brismike]

"Victoria .. The Land of the Photo Opportunity" .. lol.

[theboxmike]

Canterbury Rd at Colchester Rd

Makes me sick i drive past their all the time. Theres a bloody one at the next and previous intersection as well!

We Victorians need to stand up and say no to this ****.

[prydey]

Victorian Police Minister, Peter Ryan, said that the decision was made to switch the cameras on (which were installed, but not activated by the previous government) following a favourable Auditor-General report. The report released by Victoria’s Auditor-General claimed that speed cameras (fixed and mobile) were not primarily used to raise revenue in Victoria.The report failed to show a direct correlation between speed cameras and the reduction in road toll

something doesn't quite add up there. the bit that does add up is that the auditor general knows that you don't bite the hand that feeds you. even though the report shows there is no direct link between cameras and road toll, he recommended turning them on anyway. smart cookie that one.

all it does is create paranoid people who spend all their time looking at their dash, and instead of having free flowing traffic, you have larger speed discrepancies than ever before.

[V8XTasy]

"Victorian Police Minister, Peter Ryan, said that the decision was made to switch the cameras on (which were installed, but not activated by the previous government) following a favourable Auditor-General report. The report released by Victoria’s Auditor-General claimed that speed cameras (fixed and mobile) were not primarily used to raise revenue in Victoria.

The report failed to show a direct correlation between speed cameras and the reduction in road toll and also made no mention of the effect of vehicle safety improvements since the speed camera program’s implementation. These improvements include, but are not limited to [COLOR=#F80000 ]ABS[/color], ESP, crumple zones, vehicle material changes, additional airbags and advanced car safety systems.

Revenue from speeding drivers and red-light runners reaped almost $500million for the Victorian Government in the previous financial year and despite a record increase in revenue and number of fixed and mobile speed cameras, Victoria’s road toll has plateaued over recent years"

So let me get this right; there's no connection between cameras and reducing the road toll, but the cameras bring in $500m in revenue. However, someone much more clever than me has concluded that they are not used to raise revenue. That just doesn't sound like the right conclusion to me.

Does it not also point towards other reasons for the high road toll? Especially when most people snapped were less than 10kph over the limit. That's a tiny amount.

[xisled]

The message everyone seems to forgot is. Do not go through red lights or speed and you will not get caught. Let them put cameras every where, if you do the right thing then you do not have to worry about this. I see people on here complaining about them on a daily basis.

The message is simple Do not speed and you will not get caught.

[V8XTasy]

The problem is not people worrying about going over the speed limit or running a red light (although 10kph over is a bit tight, particularly on a 100kph freeway, but completely agree with read light cameras as running a red light can be catastrophic), but relying on these camera to reduce the road toll, which it is clearly not doing from their own reports. If this is not having a decent impact, they must start looking at other reasons and there are many. However, the other causes mostly cost money to implement, rather than raising money. So they've gone for the option that has the least impact, but raises the most revenue.

[chevypower]

Yep, I'm not coming back any time soon. No red light cameras or speed cameras around here, I can do 130 on the freeway, and I am still alive! I know some are probably waiting for me to die. LOL

[graham7773]

I'm not sorry, If a driver cannot control his/her vehicle to remain at or below the speed limit, that person should give up driving, hand the licence in and buy a push bike. As for red light runners, IMO they should be jailed/gaoled for a few months to give them little quiet time to rethink their attitude to other peoples safety. We already know they have no regard for their own safety. I use freeways etc regularly, cruise control is your friend. Set (to speed limit) and forget.

[MAD]

Gotta love the "dont speed and you wont get fined" brigade.
I'm sure you've never drifted over the limit in your entire life. [/sarcasm]

If the sheer numbers of people being caught in the 0-10km/h over bracket doesnt rase alarm bells on the relevance in regard to trauma reduction, then I dont know what will.
If there are so many people speeding through these "dangerous" locations, why is there not a massive increase in accidents? afterall MUARC tells us we double our chance of crashing by travelling at 5km/h over the limit. (mind you, I've never seen whether they refer to the posted limit, or whether 'speeding' is taken from "too fast for the prevailing conditions")

[Polyal]

Am I missing something, how are red light camera's bad? So you get done trying to beat the yellow, sounds good to me. The amount of times I see trucks keep going because they cant be bothered stopping to start again (yes I know, they change gears 50 times within the first 100m) is crazy, cars are not much better.

Actual speed camera's ill argue all day long, it is a joke.

I got done the other day doing 115 on a country back road (100 limit), no one around other than obviously Mr Plod in his SS. After having a chat he wouldnt let me off but brought it down to 100.

I was very grateful, but it shows how this whole "speed kills" crap we have been attacked with is such BS, if it was that bad why did the officer so easily change the speed?

[GreenR]

The media, police and government can think of all the reasons in the world, but at the end of the day we will still think it's just revenue raising.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Am I missing something, how are red light camera's bad? So you get done trying to beat the yellow, sounds good to me. The amount of times I see trucks keep going because they cant be bothered stopping to start again (yes I know, they change gears 50 times within the first 100m) is crazy, cars are not much better.

Don't think anyone is against red light camera's actually. Just the speed cameras and the little to no tolerance they have.

Funny enough over the years I've noticed more people will drive slower but will run red lights so they don't have to stop.

[spebgtsprint]

I really do feel sorry for you Vic. guys. I grew up in Victoria but moved to WA 22 years ago. I stll have lots of friends I get over and see twice a year in Vic. An old girlfriend almost convinced me to move back to Vic. (My job could let me be based almost anywhere in Australia) and I did have some serious thoughts for a short time.........

But two things (out of quite a few) that did actually help convince me to stay put in wonderful WA were: The amount of traffic on the roads compared to Perth (which in time we will no doubt have) but also the amount of fixed speed cameras and very low tolerance. Cmon, fixed speed cameras on Geelong Road between Melbourne and Geelong - programmed to nab you for more than 3 k's over on what is arguably the most boring stretch of road in Vic. I reckon you could sit on 130 km/h with a guide dog giving you directions no dramas....

Then you get wowsers who tell you "stick to the speed limit and you won't get caught"......... Stick to your Toyota Camry's and Echo's in the right lane guys, whilst taking in the scenery at 5-10 k's under the limit. We can all be safe like you and learn how to really keep all those hoon motorist's doing 10-20 km/h over the prescribed limit from killing themselves........

Sorry, bit of a rant, but in general I believe we let the pollies become dictators more and more, and we just accept it. What's happening in Vic. will very soon spread to the rest of this great driving country of ours and spoil it for everyone with a half decent "Performance Car"...

[Franco Cozzo]

Out in the country past the city limit sign.......

No fixed speed cameras in my part of our state, just them mobile ones, which is always a new car, on the side of the road, in the same four spots.

That tells me two things:

1) Its a speed camera, because anything left on that road, over night ends up with smashed windows, tipped on its roof or being stripped.

2) Check if its there during the night to smash its windows, tip it on its roof and strip it

Only joking about number 2, but that does seem to happen to any car left on the side of the road out this way, thrill of it i guess.

[Murphington]

Great. More cameras along the Canterbury road stretch! that makes 3 cameras in a 4 light stretch. Adding to the Dorset and Bayswater intersections! Might have to start avoiding Canterbury road ;)

[sudszy]

A lot of the comment here seems to rely on this statement from Paul Maric:
“The report failed to show a direct correlation between speed cameras and the reduction in road toll”.

here is part of what is in the report : http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/publicat...ty-Cameras.pdf p19

“The evaluation found that, on average, after cameras were installed at these sites,
there was a statistically significant reduction in casualty crashes of 47 per cent on the
leg of the intersection where cameras were situated. The evaluation also examined the
rate of crashes for all roads leading to the intersection, not just the road where the
camera is. It found there was a 26 per cent fall in casualty crashes for these roads.
This demonstrates that the cameras are having a positive effect on road safety even
on drivers who are not directly exposed to the camera. Additionally, there was a
44 per cent fall in right-turn crashes, where two vehicles hit at a right angle, which is aparticularly serious type of crash as the vehicle occupants have less protection.
The evaluation estimated that, across the 77 intersections, the cameras had led to
reductions of 17 fatal or serious injury crashes and 36 minor injury crashes per year.”

Mr Maric thinks the differences above were due to better cars?

Mr Maric: “and also made no mention of the effect of vehicle safety improvements since the speed camera program’s implementation”

The accident rate fell in greater amounts compared to no camera intersections, which says the cameras are having an effect, unless Mr Maric has some explanation as to how only the safe/newer cars go through camera intersections and older cars only visit non camera intersections. In investigative terms it is bullet proof, only one variable has been changed(cameras) and the result is less incidents. Please note this doesnt mean that safer cars havent been a factor in reducing incidents/severity overall in camera and non camera areas.

Originally Posted by MAD

If the sheer numbers of people being caught in the 0-10km/h over bracket doesnt rase alarm bells on the relevance in regard to trauma reduction,

See fig 2B p35: http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/publicat...ty-Cameras.pdf, yes that evidence has been corroborated by more than one research body, 10km/h over(60km/h) quadruples your risk.

Originally Posted by MAD

If there are so many people speeding through these "dangerous" locations, why is there not a massive increase in accidents? After all MUARC tells us we double our chance of crashing by travelling at 5km/h over the limit

There are still large numbers of people speeding(hence why speed cameras are still needed), however, the numbers are on a downwards trend hence 1 reason there has not been an increase in incidents.

Originally Posted by vztrt

Don't think anyone is against red light camera's actually. Just the speed cameras and the little to no tolerance they have. Funny enough over the years I've noticed more people will drive slower but will run red lights so they don't have to stop.

Everyone of these 32 cameras has been located at an intersection, high probability of incident in small section of road. Yep, no-one should be complaining about people running red lights getting done, but doing 10km/h over the limit through an intersection?

Intersections are dangerous places, speeding here is asking for trouble, and unless it’s a 3 lane rd meets 3lane road type intersection then slowing 5-10km/h below the limit should be a given too. Intersections such as the Punt rd/Toorak Rd(where one of the cameras is going) are typical of this, tram lines, pedestrians, level changes ,cars doing right, left turns etc.
[/I]

Folks, I wont make any further post in this thread so, so feel free to air your thoughts, but I wont be responding.

[69XWGT]

Speed cameras are just blatant revenue raising.

A lot of our freeways should have higher speedlimts to help combat fatigue from crawling along at 100kph.

Having said that intersections are where most deaths and injuries occur.

It wouldn't worry me if every set of traffic lights had red light cameras attached

Anybody that runs red lights shouldn't have a licence

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by xisled

The message everyone seems to forgot is. Do not go through red lights or speed and you will not get caught. Let them put cameras every where, if you do the right thing then you do not have to worry about this. I see people on here complaining about them on a daily basis.

The message is simple Do not speed and you will not get caught.

If you do that, then the TAC will simply find another way to get revenue. probably start by reducing the tolerance to 1 km.
maybe a GPS black box that records your speed all day every day and spits out tickets from a printer in your car (like in movie "Fifth Element")

[xurbanx]

So with these cameras, were they active (as in still flashing) but no fines were issued or were they completely switched off?

Ballarat Rd at Ashley St, Maidstone
Dandenong Rd at Clayton Rd at Oakleigh East
Dandenong Rd at Warrigal Rd, Malvern East

I swore the first two are on - I've seen cars get flashed when they cross Ashley St and I've been flashed on Dandenong Rd at Clayton Rd (no fines - was merging from right turn lane into the main lanes on a green light).

[MAD]

Originally Posted by sudszy

See fig 2B p35: http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/publicat...ty-Cameras.pdf, yes that evidence has been corroborated by more than one research body, 10km/h over(60km/h) quadruples your risk.

That's a nice graph, but I dont buy it. A 'speed limit' is an arbitrary number set by a local council. It has nothing to do with the condition, or safety, of the road. Increased crash risk should only be based on the prevailing conditions. (eg. rain, wet road, fog, ice, etc.)
Do you have a link to the study conducted by the Uni of Adelaide?

Originally Posted by sudszy

There are still large numbers of people speeding(hence why speed cameras are still needed), however, the numbers are on a downwards trend hence 1 reason there has not been an increase in incidents.

Got any proof to show that the number of people speeding is on the way down?
I bet if there was a breakdown of the actual speeds detected, you would see a majority of them under 5km/h over. Which tells me, they are relying on the slip-ups of your average Joe to pay for the cameras to act as a deterrant for the occasional high level speeder.

[SB076]

I wouldnt be opposed to cameras if they were signposted and in known black spot areas - sadly in looking at some of the locations above, these are purely for revenue (cant speak for all locations as I dont know them all)

Sadly in Victoria we are getting a mentality of "I am a good driver as I dont speed" Yet I beleive our driving standards are getting worse each year - I see things on the road these days that I dont beleive I ever saw years ago. Already had someone turn right from the left hand lane today - but thats ok, according to our governing bodies - they will never get an infrigement notice, provided they stick to 5ks under the limit

[z80]

There is no car manufactured in Australia that you will survive a 100km/h crash in.

Best case, you will be on life support for a long time, and be a burden to all.

Even at 95km/h you are a goner.

So I can't see the point in this "wipe off 5 km/h" govt campaign.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by z80

There is no car manufactured in Australia that you will survive a 100km/h crash in.

Best case, you will be on life support for a long time, and be a burden to all.

Even at 95km/h you are a goner.

So I can't see the point in this "wipe off 5 km/h" govt campaign.

Strange, I have a attended a number of crashes where people have survived impacts of 100 km+.

[Ben73]

If it's a 70 zone and you are driving 60. Are all the people obey the limit and doing 70, 4 times more likely to be killed then you?
Sudszy I know you don't want to post here anymore, but I'm sure you could find the answer on a government road safety report somewhere.