Skip to main content

Positive results for New South Wales camera enforcement

The New South Wales government’s 2015 speed camera review shows that speed cameras continue to deliver positive road safety benefits, say the report’s authors. Overall, the trend in road fatalities and annual speed surveys shows that the mobile speed camera program continues to deliver positive road safety benefits, compared with results before the reintroduction of the mobile speed camera program in 2010. The 2014 road toll of 307 fatalities on NSW roads is the lowest annual figure since 1923. This i
July 20, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The New South Wales government’s 2015 speed camera review shows that speed cameras continue to deliver positive road safety benefits, say the report’s authors.

Overall, the trend in road fatalities and annual speed surveys shows that the mobile speed camera program continues to deliver positive road safety benefits, compared with results before the reintroduction of the mobile speed camera program in 2010.

The 2014 road toll of 307 fatalities on NSW roads is the lowest annual figure since 1923. This is 32 per cent lower than in 2009 (453 fatalities), before the reintroduction of the mobile speed camera program.

There was also a 39 per cent reduction in speed related fatalities from 2009 to 2014, and results from the 2014 speed surveys show speeding remains below the level recorded in 2009.

When comparing the five years before the fixed speed cameras were installed with the most recent five years there has been a: 38 per cent reduction in the number of casualty crashes; 91 per cent reduction in fatalities; and 42 per cent reduction in injuries at these camera locations

Analysis of the red-light speed camera program shows encouraging results in changing driver behaviour. Reviewers found red light speed cameras had reduced casualties by almost 40 per cent, while pedestrian casualties were down by almost 45 percent.

Analysis of point-to-point speed enforcement lengths shows that there has been a low number of heavy vehicle crashes since cameras started operating. Infringement data for average speed offences in the 24 point-to-point enforcement lengths shows a high level of compliance and a low number of infringements.

The report concludes that the latest review has found that across the four programs, speed cameras are continuing to improve road safety in NSW. Early results from the red-light speed, mobile speed and point-to-point camera programs show that drivers are changing their behaviour, which overall is resulting in a reduction in crashes and casualties at camera locations and across the road network.

Related Content

  • July 29, 2016
    Turning off red light cameras costs lives, new research shows
    Red light camera programs in 79 large US cities saved nearly 1,300 lives through 2014, researchers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have found. Shutting down such programs has cost lives, with the rate of fatal red-light-running crashes shooting up 30 per cent in cities that have turned off cameras. Red-light-running crashes caused 709 deaths in 2014 and an estimated 126,000 injuries. Red light runners account for a minority of the people killed in such crashes. Most of those killed
  • July 1, 2016
    UK road safety’ is stagnating’ – IAM and RoSPA call for new strategy
    Independent road safety charity IAM RoadSmart and safety charity the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) have called for government action following the release of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) reported road casualties in Great Britain 2015. The 2015 figures show there were 1,732 reported road deaths – two per cent fewer compared with 2014. According to the DfT, this is the second lowest annual total on record after 2013. The number of people seriously injured in reported road tr
  • September 1, 2016
    A9 average speed cameras improving road safety
    The latest report by the A9 Safety Group on accident statistics on the A9 in Scotland indicate that there continues to be a sustained improvement in driver behaviour and a corresponding fall in collisions and casualties. The report contains collision and casualty data for the first 18 months of operation of the average speed cameras to 30 April 2016, which is the mid-point of the evaluation period. The other performance data covers the period to 30 June 2016 unless otherwise stated.
  • May 1, 2024
    The path to safer roads: America can learn from Europe’s example, says Verra Mobility
    Many US states are establishing road safety programmes that will inspire others. TJ Tiedje, vice president commercial at Verra Mobility, explains why this is important