Speed safety & mobile camera enforcement in NSW..

[wulos]

Driving in to Tuggerah on old Pac HWY, & found a mbl speed camera on the side of the road. It was still there on way home.

I don't remember seeing any mention of this section being listed as a blackspot, nor to the best of my knowledge having a history of speed related crashes.

Did a check on the NSW RTA website to find that they have added another "500" High risk blackspot areas to their "hit lists". Be VERY aware that whilst the RTA are removing one or two of the 128 fixed emplacements, they have ramped up the usage of moblie camera enforcement on a grand scale.

The review of fixed camera locations has recommended the removal of a number of 'fixed emplacements' due to the fact that there has been a 'provable' increase in the volume of injuries(and in some cases deaths) where the cameras were installed. The report identified 38 locations where fixed speed cameras were not delivering the expected road safety benefit to the community. It also indicated that "may" have been other methods of improving road safety in the area OTHER than thru punitive speed enforcement.

There has been precious little publicity / public consultation provided about the increase mobile enforcement.

The 'new & improved' mobile devices can pop up just about anywhere. They are administered and operated by "a third party who is a private contractor".
As these mobile devices are transient, there will no longer be any tracable figures that can be used to review the true road safety effectiveness of these "deterents". Outside contractor, transient / random nature of mobile enforcement - rings alarm bells to me about how accurate any data / statistics are likely to be.

[Keepleft]

Macquarie Bank as operator.

Signs - three, are to be placed at the scene, for the first time *before* your measured, at, and after.

Details at RMS.
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/newsevents...ed-cameras.pdf

“The new strategy will expand the mobile speed camera program but also will improve signage to make mobile speed cameras more visible.
“The number of warning signs will double, they will be raised from the ground and motorists will get up to 250 metres advance warning of a mobile speed camera, rather than the current 50 metres. In addition the mobile speed camera vans will have more identifiable markings.”
By July next year the number of mobile speed cameras will be increased to 45 vehicles operating at about 2500 locations for 7,000 hours per month. This is well below most other jurisdictions in Australia.
“Warning signs for Safety Cameras will more than double in size and Safety Camera signs will be changed from ‘Safety Camera Ahead’ to ‘Red Light Speed Camera Ahead.’

By July next year the number of mobile speed cameras will be increased to 45 vehicles operating at about 2500 locations for 7,000 hours per month. This is well below most other jurisdictions in Australia.

[Ben73]

They don't put them in blackspots. But they are trying to put their bank balance in the black.
Most of the mobile speed cameras I have seen are on nice straight bits of roads where many speed but no one really crashes.

[wulos]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Macquarie Bank as operator.

Signs - three, are to be placed at the scene, for the first time *before* your measured, at, and after.

Details at RMS.
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/newsevents...ed-cameras.pdf

The signage / lighting requirements was not consistent with what I would normally expect to be mandatory for "ANY" worker required to work with their vehicle parked on the side of the road for work purposes.

The mobile enforcement site (black Ford Territory)was setup in a location beneath overhanging trees on a section of road with no street lights.

The signage was definitely NOT raised from the ground - the signage on these was fold out signs. First one was similar to the roadwork ahead roadcrew signage roughly 200m or so before the speed camera. One small sign at the car, & another small sign on the deck a short distance past on the deck. Signage was quite easy to overlook in the dark with only headlights for illumination(dark section of road, with oncoming traffic) - & I was in drivers seat specifically looking to see what / if any signage was there.

If as a utility worker, I set up my work vehicle on the side of the road in such a manner(to work on the footpath) I would be open to prosecution for WHS breaches.

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by wulos

If as a utility worker, I set up my work vehicle on the side of the road in such a manner(to work on the footpath) I would be open to prosecution for WHS breaches.

Its a step up from the previous situation where they'd put a single sign after the camera.

But I accept your observations.

These cameras will still be missed by many, but we could ask,- are they paying attention to their surrounds? If not, have we not then got the 'inattentive driver' identified, who is penalised by way of exceeding the speed limit?

Regardless, I am going to have to fight hot wifie (life-boss) and install a nice new UHF for 'road alerts' having regard all the new stuff about:-
http://www.zanui.com.au/5-Watt-Micro...ack-61997.html

http://www.oricom.com.au/oricom-2-wa...n-vehicle.html
(On Ebay for $188)

In an ideal world, as dictator for extreme road safety NSW parliament, I'd let the camera contracts die out (too costly to pay out), and employ more HWP to target folk for keeping-middle on empty three laned freeway's:-)

[Simple6]

It's hard to pay attention to your surrounds when you need to keep watching the speedo! I love these fixed safety camera's (I know off topic) that mean we're all watching our speedo's as we go through an intersection (downhill into Pennant Hills & Beecroft Rd intersection anyone?).

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by Simple6

It's hard to pay attention to your surrounds when you need to keep watching the speedo! I love these fixed safety camera's (I know off topic) that mean we're all watching our speedo's as we go through an intersection (downhill into Pennant Hills & Beecroft Rd intersection anyone?).

Ahh but read the media release, NSW won't use the term 'safety camera' anymore, each 'camera' will be identified by its function.

Yeah I know.....

[XRGhia]

Hey Mark, the same marked Territory has been floating around North Wyong near the garden place in the same style (parked under tree's and out of sight, with no real signs until you get to the damn thing)

Surprised me though, never would have expected to see them around here...

[xisled]

You NSW guys have it easy with these road side Camera.

Here in you do not get the sign. You do not even know you got booked until you get the fine.

[wulos]

Originally Posted by xrghiawagon

Hey Mark, the same marked Territory has been floating around North Wyong near the garden place in the same style (parked under tree's and out of sight, with no real signs until you get to the damn thing)

Surprised me though, never would have expected to see them around here...

This is the exact location that this one was seen - 4.30-6.30ish pm Tuesday?
Whilst it is marked, it is NOT marked as a police vehicle. It has orange and white chequered striping...

[wulos]

Originally Posted by xisled

You NSW guys have it easy with these road side Camera.

Here in you do not get the sign. You do not even know you got booked until you get the fine.

Have it easy??? It is not a case or easy / hard, it is to me more a case of right/wrong.
The pendulum has swung away from doing things in the interests of public safety, to a monetary financial based justification.

[VICFPV]

The only way to get rid of these things is to stop speeding. Easy said then done but thats what happens when you are mugged in the name of safety.

[No.6]

could you get pinged for parking next to the vehicle or on the side of the road in front of it with hazards on just to annoy the operator? you could always say stop revive survive mate. Does the operator have any real legal power to tell you to move on if you were causing cars to slow down in its range of operation?

[Jim Goose]

I was a bit miffed today when i saw (in Townsville) a new mobile camera vehicle. It was a moroon coloured Nissan Pathfinder.

Parked on Bowen Rd, but NO SIGN! (went past it 30mins later and still no sign).
I didnt see anyone inside it, but could see the cameras in the passenger side.

[xe351]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Macquarie Bank as operator.

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And that there is the problem. How is it even legal let alone moral for a 3rd party company with no interest in road safety to operate such a practise when blind freddy can see its about revenue? If the revenue raised went 100% back into making better roads, helping victims of road trauma, or improving driver awareness i wouldn't have such a problem with it. It P's me right off thinking that fat-cats like macquarie bank are getting richer at motorists expense, and having no impact on road safety!



thanks for the heads up Wulos

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by wulos

Whilst it is marked, it is NOT marked as a police vehicle. It has orange and white chequered striping...

Why would it be? Got nothing to do with plod - even they hate them.

[Simple6]

Anyone seen the new issue of Wheels? They have a 4 page spread/editorial on revenue raising and claim they're stepping up the pressure on state & federal governments for effective road safety. They ask everyone to jump on their Facebook page to show support and provide the email addresses for state and federal roads ministers.

Will it do anything? Maybe not, but its nice to have a large, respected publication stepping out and attacking the government on their policy, rather than individual citizens being ignored.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by wulos

rings alarm bells to me about how accurate any data / statistics are likely to be.

C'mon Wulos, it's the Macquarie Bank. Would they lie ?

[TheInterceptor]

Originally Posted by No.6

could you get pinged for parking next to the vehicle or on the side of the road in front of it with hazards on just to annoy the operator? you could always say stop revive survive mate. Does the operator have any real legal power to tell you to move on if you were causing cars to slow down in its range of operation?

"Break down" infront or behind the camera car. So flick your hazards on and lift the bonnet. That way you should be right. If somebody comes along and says you are pretending...get inside your car, put your foot flat to the floor (cuts the injectors so it wont fire or in a carby car... pull the dizzy cap off or something without witness as soon as you can) and try and start it. No fuel/spark no fire. You just hope they will leave it at that and rack off!

If youre causing cars to slow down in that range, thats a good thing as thats the whole point of these cameras! (APPARENTLY)

[wulos]

One of the offbeat things I had thought of doing some day was to arrange an organised civil protest, whereby, every motorist, on the stretch of road being "photographed" was to slow down to 30-40kph beneath the speed limit as they went past the camera location.
I am sure that the increased volume of traffic, traveling well beneath the posted speedlimit would become a nightmare for 'officialdom' to deal with. It would be interesting to see what could/would come of it.
What's the worst that would happen? Drivers getting booked for travelling too slow past a speed camera location??