NSW Speed Camera

[Derek-C]

Our tax $ at work

Black spot I dont think so.

Taken with my mobile phone on Sunday.

Speed Camera.jpg

Derek

[OzzieTraveller]

G'day Derek

We've had these mobile "safety" cameras in the ACT now for the past 5-6 years
The revenue raised by them now has their own line in the budget ... last I saw was $14m for 2008/9

And as always, there is two sides to the story
1- I don't get thrilled by them or their placement ... often at the bottom of a hill etc
2- Often tho, I see some silly bugga hurtling along at the speed limit +25% ... ie definately speeding, and I say to myself "go on mate - get yourself booked - you deserve it"
3- what I find hard is when
a) they're parked in obviously 'safe' stretches of road (why??), and
b) when I hear of drivers being booked for exceeding the speed limit by "a few km/h" - (less than 10% of the posted speed limits anyway)

Over the years, I have witnessed too many occasions where, via oncoming drivers are flashing their lights, that "speeders" slow down for 1/2 minute or so, go thru the camera, then speed up again afterwards. I would much prefer to have mobile coppers &/or cameras which get these drivers actually in the act, rather than the fixed-position cameras that people slow down for 'coz they know all about them

Regards, Phil

[dbax]

interesting, contrary to the newspapers, current affairs shows and emails doing the rounds, which all stated they would be mounted on "WHITE" Ford Territories in known black spots. That don't look white to me.

[old dog]

I agree with Phil totally on this. I try hard, most of the time, to keep my speed within the limits......except sometimes when on my motorbike when I might go a "little" over the limit, out the back of nowhere... But if I do....I fully accept a fine if I get caught.

I do think it`s revenue raising....but if people didn`t speed they would cease to exist and the money could be diverted to more important things.....no need to go on about it.

[Jules]

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about when it comes to speed cameras (fixed or not). If you don't speed, you've got nothing to worry about.

[Analog6]

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about when it comes to speed cameras (fixed or not). If you don't speed, you've got nothing to worry about.

My sentiments precisely. Obey the rules and you won't get fined. I have had 2 speeding fines in 40 years of driving. One was for 6km over a 60 kph zone (1983) at the bottom of a steep hill. One was for 98 in an 80 zone (1988), I did not see the sign that changed it back, but it was my fault, I knew that bit of road and was daydreaming.

[hus]

My sentiments precisely. Obey the rules and you won't get fined. I have had 2 speeding fines in 40 years of driving. One was for 6km over a 60 kph zone (1983) at the bottom of a steep hill. One was for 98 in an 80 zone (1988), I did not see the sign that changed it back, but it was my fault, I knew that bit of road and was daydreaming.

Yeah thats fine in the city I suppose but in real life when you driving country roads there are times I wouldn't go near the posted signs (speed wise) then there are conditions that allow me to safely go over the limit, thats until you get one of those drivers that sit in the right lane right on the speed limit and wont move over thinking they are in the right.
Anyway I have posted my views on this topic, the state government is a joke, they are ripping us off in the name of saving our lives.
I suppose if you feel good at handing your money over because the nice highway patrol man set up his camera on a safe stretch of road, then at at least its something positive for you.

[Jules]

...thats until you get one of those drivers that sit in the right lane right on the speed limit and wont move over thinking they are in the right...

Just to clarify hus, are you saying you have a right to be speeding in the right hand lane?

Edit: I'm genuinely curious about this, as it does seem that many people consider it perfectly acceptable to travel 5, 10, 15km over the speedlimit in RH lanes.

[MarkChap]

and while we are on the subject of road safety........

You weren't driving when you took this I would hope ?

The TWO causes of road crashes - Lack of Common Sense and lack of Concentration ??

[Derek-C]

Mark,I was standing on the footpath on the other side of the road.

Definitely not a white Territory and yes ,if you don't speed you don't have a problem.

Derek

[ving]

if you speed you pay... simple.

[Clubmanmc]

if you speed you pay... simple.

i have allways been a believer of that statement, if i want to speed i will pay the fines and not whine when i get them...

simple...

what erks me though is the differences in the "gray area" that speeding fines are dished out...

being booked for 103 in a 100 zone in Vic but not at 109 in a 100 zone in SA? just makes no sense...

worse still we have been paying registration and fuel (taxes, levies, fees) for years, and we then have to have Toll roads because the gov cant afford to build infrastructure... and then they say that the fines they collect will go back into the roads...

obvioulsy those people aint driven outside of canberra...

M

[campo]

obvioulsy those people aint driven outside of canberra...

how does canberra fit in sorry? camera revenue goes to state government coffers, not federal.

Canberra also has its fair share of revenue raising with plenty of cameras being located at the bottom of hills on 4 lane, freeway quality roads signposted at 60/70/80kph. Having learnt to drive in country Qld, it's hard top stomach a single lane bi-directional road can can have a limit of 100kph whilst 4 lane roads here are 60kph...

[Clubmanmc]

how does canberra fit in sorry? camera revenue goes to state government coffers, not federal.

Canberra also has its fair share of revenue raising with plenty of cameras being located at the bottom of hills on 4 lane, freeway quality roads signposted at 60/70/80kph. Having learnt to drive in country Qld, it's hard top stomach a single lane bi-directional road can can have a limit of 100kph whilst 4 lane roads here are 60kph...

The canberra ref, is actually a dig at how great the roads are there, not where the money is, and yeah I can say that, over the years I have done a fair few km around australia, one trip included, the great ocean road, reefton spur, black spur, bells line of road, mount panorama, galston gorge, old pacific highway, monaro highway, snowy mountain highway, and all the connecting roads.. Close to 6500 km in 9 days..

M

[Derek-C]

Hey Bernie

Again this morning 5-09-2010 at about 10-30.

Catching the church goers again

Derek

[hus]

If this state government was really concerned about bringing the road toll down then the most effective way to do this is put more police cars on the road to remind people that they are out there. Why won’t they do that? it does not generate money for them rather cost more.
This government has run this state into the ground through mis management ( do you think Bob Carr jump ship for no reason, (as I quoted before “Nice to see the NSW government re-arrange the deck chairs on the titanic, what makes these new clowns think they going to stay afloat. We already hit the iceberg when captain Bob Carr was at the helm. Save Our Souls”)) He saw the future and didn't want to be blamed for it. Now they are resorting to money making schemes in the name of saving our lives, if anyone really thinks that these revenue raisers are going to save people than you better keep an eye open so as not to smash into those flying pigs.
There are other countries with much higher speed limits with less deaths, why ???? because their government doesn’t waste money on high tech money makers, instead makes better roads and educates their drivers better.
Oh what qualifies me to comment l hear you ask? Well I hold a professional licence which involved driving buses, trucks and I also ride a motorbike so l have seen my fair share of roads.


p.s. Yes I can admit l don’t like this state government at all, now I’ll get off my soap box.

[campo]

I'm in the ACT and one thing that annoys the you know what out of me is seeing a van sitting at the bottom of a big hill, on a four lane road with speed limit 80kph...some of the roads here are better then the hume freeway but have a limit 30kph less! I've started dropping my car back into 4th gear on the usual suspect hills for speed cameras at the bottom rather then riding my brakes to try and stay at 80.

They're also talking about bringing in point to point cameras here too, which will eliminate the annoying speeders slamming their brakes on just before a camera and then speeding up again. I personally look forward to this because it'll slow people down over larger distances, and i'll be able to sit on the speed limit my whole trip rather then slowing down to 20 below the limit when someone hits the anchors!

[campo]

hear hear to hus - driver education and visible presence is the key to safer roads! speed cameras don't catch every infringement!

having just been to the snow and back to shoot a wedding, I noticed that there were hardly any cars speeding...why? because the cops are all over the road to the snow at the moment! more visibility = less deaths!

[Scotty72]

Speeding fines are a voluntary tax on the impatient / unobservant / hoon elements of society.

Don't speed = don't pay.

My favourite of the common, tired excuses...
'Not fair: the radar / camera was at the bottom of the hill and I was only a few Ks over.'

• Do I occassionally 'drift over' decending a hill? Sure, no doubt but, if I am that unobservant, a good fine will remind me to keep my concentration. BTW, I have had a few reminders in my time - I don't complain because it was MY FAULT!
• What if there were a kid chasing ball onto the street at the bottom of that hill? Are you going to tell the parents, 'Mate, I only killed your kid by a few K's over; forget about it?'
• The posted speed limit is a maximum. Aim for 5km/h under and even if you do drift up 5 km/h, no problem. If you constantly pick up more the 5km/h and don't notice, why do you have a licence?

When people say why are the cops on 'safe' stretches of road? Do they suggest the cops should not go there, that these areas should be free zones for lead foots?

When people complain that the cops are 'always at the bottom of that hill." If they are always there, how dumb are you if you get caught? Same (in NSW) before fixed cameras with 3 HUGE signs telling you the camera is right there - yet idiots still get caught!


My favourite dumb defence against camera is

"if I constantly have to take my eyes of the road to look at my speedo, that is soooo dangerous"

Really, I am imagining an army of drivers with eyes transfixed on the road ahead, never blinking, never looking in their mirrors, never averting their eyes for any reason - eyes glued painfully to the front windscreen.

These people shouldn't be on the road.

Scotty

[hus]

Don't speed = don't pay.

Not always the case, just ask residents of a southern sydney suburb when the speed camera just kept nabbing drivers like there was no tomorrow, but the RTA weren't happy when they had to give back the money because the clowns hadn't calibrated the time on the camera and booked everyone in the school zone who weren't even speeding.

why are the cops on 'safe' stretches of road? Do they suggest the cops should not go there......... they shouldn't be in their cars sitting, how about catching real criminals like drug dealers or isn't the financial returns just isn't worth it?