Skip to main content

Speed cameras - road safety benefits

The 2014 speed camera review by the New South Wales Centre for Road Safety shows that speed cameras continue to deliver positive road safety benefits. A total of 95 fixed speed camera locations were reviewed, with 93 locations shown to be effective from the initial analysis. This positive result shows the review, now in its third year, has systematically identified ineffective fixed speed cameras for decommissioning. Overall at these fixed speed camera locations, there was a 42 per cent reduction in the
October 17, 2014 Read time: 3 mins
The 2014 speed camera review by the New South Wales Centre for Road Safety shows that speed cameras continue to deliver positive road safety benefits.

A total of 95 fixed speed camera locations were reviewed, with 93 locations shown to be effective from the initial analysis. This positive result shows the review, now in its third year, has systematically identified ineffective fixed speed cameras for decommissioning. Overall at these fixed speed camera locations, there was a 42 per cent reduction in the number of crashes; 90 per cent reduction in deaths; and 40 per cent reduction in injuries. This reduction in casualties represents a saving of US$391.5 million to the community.

Speed cameras were not as effective at two locations and field inspections will be carried out prior to a decision on camera effectiveness and alternative options to improve safety.

Overall, the trend in road fatalities and annual speed surveys demonstrates that the mobile speed camera program is delivering positive road safety benefits, compared with results before the reintroduction of the mobile speed camera program in 2010. The ongoing impact of the mobile speed camera program is reflected in NSW’s provisional 2013 road toll of 339 fatalities. This result is the lowest annual figure since 1924, when there were 309 fatalities.

Results from the 2013 speed surveys show speeding continues to remain below the level of 2009, before the reintroduction of the mobile speed camera program in 2010. The percentage of light vehicles exceeding the speed limit by up to 10 km/h in 2013 was lower when comparing 2013 results to those from 2009 to 2011. The comparisons of the 2013 results with those from 2012 were more mixed, with further reductions in most speed zones, but slight increases in some zones.

Significant gains were achieved in reducing heavy vehicles exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 km/h, with the lowest percentages achieved over the entire five-year review period across most zones.

More than 99 per cent of vehicles passing mobile speed cameras were not infringed for speeding.  This high rate of compliance has remained consistent since 2010 when the program was reintroduced.

The red-light speed camera program shows encouraging results in changing driver behaviour. Overall, at the 125 intersections with red-light speed cameras there was a: 24 per cent reduction in crashes; 49 per cent reduction in pedestrian casualties; and 36 per cent reduction in all casualties.

This reduction in casualties represents a saving of US$61.7 million to the community.

There were no fatalities at signalised intersections with red-light speed camera enforcement in 2013.

Early analysis of point-to-point enforcement lengths shows that there was a low number of heavy vehicle crashes since camera operations began. There has also been a high level of compliance with speed limits on the point-to-point lengths, with low numbers of heavy vehicles detected speeding by point-to-point enforcement. It is too early to evaluate the program as only 21 out of 25 lengths were rolled out by the end of 2013.

Related Content

  • Latvia calls for re-introduction of speed cameras
    November 18, 2013
    Latvia’s road traffic Safety directorate (CSDD) has called for the reintroduction of stationary and mobile speed cameras and higher penalties for exceeding the speed limit. CSDD representative Janis Golubev emphasised that the two main causes of death are violation of speed limits and the carelessness of pedestrians who do not use light-reflecting accessories. ‘Most of the road accidents are linked to speed limit violations,’ he said. He admits that ever since speed cameras disappeared from Latvia’s roa
  • Give offending drivers credit for good behaviour
    July 27, 2012
    Andrew Rooke and Dave Marples of Technolution B.V. take a look at what can be done to address a long-standing problem: the all-or-nothing approach of automated enforcement. To start, a brief history of speeding: on 14 November 1896, the first Veteran Car Run was staged in England from London to Brighton. It was organised to celebrate new British legislation to raise the maximum speed of vehicles from four to 14mph while also removing the need for a person waving a red flag to walk in front of the car and wa
  • Singapore installs more speed cameras
    January 30, 2015
    A total of 20 new digital speed enforcement cameras are to be installed at 11 locations in Singapore from March until the end of 2015. Making the announcement at a news conference to announce annual road traffic statistics for last year, Deputy Superintendent and Head of Research, Planning and Organisational Development Weng Wanyi said: “Traffic Police hope that with the cameras and sustained engagement efforts, motorists will understand the importance of keeping to the speed limits, will enhance their o
  • Cross border enforcement a logical step
    January 30, 2012
    The logic supporting a cross-border enforcement Directive for the European Union (EU) is both detailed and compelling. The White Paper on European transport policy published in 2001 included the ambitious objective of reducing by 50 per cent by 2010 the number of people killed on the roads of the EU. But since 2005 the reduction in the number of road deaths has been slowing down: overall, the period from 2001 until 2009 saw the number of fatalities decrease by 36 per cent. According to Community indicators,