Safe Speed Forums

Speed camera revenue claims 'horrifying'
by DANIEL HURST July 16, 2010

Phots:Police unveil their secret weapon - covert speed cameras - Surprise! ... the Queensland Police Service's latest weapon in the war against speeding. Photo: Courtney Trenwith

Queensland's transport minister said yesterday she was 'horrified' by suggestions covert speed cameras were revenue-raisers.
Rachel Nolan yesterday seized on lower road toll figures to justify the government's strategy of rolling out unmarked speed camera vehicles and point-to-point speed cameras to catch speedsters.
The Queensland Police Union and state opposition have both accused the government of using the cameras to raise revenue.

But Ms Nolan, under questioning in a budget estimates hearing yesterday, said the state's road toll was 35 per cent lower than it was at the same time last year.
"Last year was the best record on a per capita basis that this state has ever had," she said.
"The thing that I frankly find horrifying is that the opposition's response at the time [to the speed camera measures] was simply to label all of that change revenue raising and to indicate that the government was trying to make money not make the roads safer.
"The proof of the pudding, however, I think it is fair to say, is in the eating."
Police figures yesterday showed 127 people had died on the roads so far this year, 68 fewer than during the same period last year.

Ms Nolan said road safety should be supported by both sides of politics, particularly when the changes appeared to be working.

However, opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Simpson said the government had provided no evidence to suggest the new speed cameras were behind the road toll decline.

Ms Simpson said she was happy to look at any evidence about the effect of the new speed cameras that was "more than just a few months out of the gate".
"They were claiming a reduction even before a lot of these [measures] had rolled out so we've got to question their claims," she said.
"They're claiming this is the silver bullet, when speed is one factor killing people on the roads. It's an important factor but it's only one factor."
Ms Simpson said the opposition believed greater numbers of mobile police patrols were a better way to combat dangerous driving.

Police began using covert cameras in Brisbane over the Easter holidays, when officers used a Holden Rodeo that looked like a normal work van parked on the side of the road.
The unmarked vehicles accounted for about one-sixth of the 15,296 motorists fined for travelling over the speed limit during Easter.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers last month accused the Bligh government of "becoming addicted to the revenue of speed cameras".
Poll: Do you think covert speed cameras are used to raise revenue for the state government?
Poll form
1. Please select an answer. Yes, there is no evidence they lower the road toll
2. No, they're a necessary measure to stop deaths on the roads
3. None of the above - leave your comments in the box below
4. View results
Yes, there is no evidence they lower the road toll 87%
No, they're a necessary measure to stop deaths on the roads 10%
None of the above - leave your comments in the box below 2%

Total votes: 1399.
Poll closed 18 Jul, 2010
Disclaimer: These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.

The quote by Ms Nolan who stated "road safety should be supported by both sides of politics, particularly when the changes appeared to be working." is a prime example of using facts when it goes 'their way' and continues to show a complete miscomprehension or any appreciation of Regression To The Mean (see http://www.safespeed.org.uk/rttm.html).
It also shows a complete failure to understand the '85th percentile' (see http://www.safespeed.org.uk/speeding.html & http://sense.bc.ca/research.htm & http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/speed/speed.htm).
She also fails to understand the massive difference between 'Free Traveling Speed' and 'Impact Speed' (see http://www.safespeed.org.uk/killspeed.org.uk).
There is never a time to drive at an inappropriate speed. Since the BEST roads safety asset is a a good driver /rider, then it makes total sense to improve the road user than apply greater enforcement.
Many UK government researched documents prove that a good Police Patrol does far more for road safety than any speed camera can. (see http://www.safespeed.org.uk/trl595.html (TRL - Transport Research Laboratory) which showed that at road roads a Police Patrol has a 27% benefit to road safety whereas an average speed camera has a 6% negative effect, & a GATSO camera has a13% negative effect).
The UK new government has now stopped funding cameras and the formed Speed Camera Partnerships are beginning to fall.
The UK has slipped from being the Worlds number 1 to 15th in the World ever since the launch of cameras in '92 and considering all the safety to cars, car systems, medical care and faster medical care the fall of our safety record clearly shows a direct correlation. It is the inappropriate use of speed that can be dangerous.
Traveling safety means that "we can stop in the distance that we KNOW to be clear", usually with a good (2 sec) safety margin.