A new $33 million mobile speed camera contract which will boost road safety enforcement in NSW has been awarded by Transport for NSW and Roads and Maritime Services (RMS).
Many car accident injuries and fatalities occur each year as a result of drivers speeding, and well sign-posted speed cameras are part of a wider strategy to keep drivers from exceeding the speed limit.
The tender for 7,000 enforcement hours per month went to Redflex Traffic Systems Australia and Jenoptik Australia, and according to Centre for Road Safety general manager Marg Prendergast, it will be phased in from later this year.
“This is an important announcement for road safety in NSW and we are looking forward to these cameras delivering further road safety improvements,” said Ms Prendergast in a July 11 statement.
She said that with private contractors handling speed cameras, police will have more time to pursue other important checks, including random drug and alcohol testing.
Full enforcement by the cameras should be up and running by January of 2014, with 45 vehicles operating.
This will represent a significant increase on the current fleet of six mobile speed camera vehicles, which collectively provide approximately 1,000 hours of enforcement each month.
Ms Prendergast said that all revenue from speed and red-light cameras will go toward the Community Road Safety Fund.
This fund supports road safety programs such as the Safer Drivers Course for learners and other initiatives such as the installation of flashing lights at all school zones across NSW.
RMS director of Customer Compliance Peter Wells said the past few months had been spent examining tenders for the contract in order to get the best value for NSW taxpayers.
He said that only a minority of drivers are snapped by speed cameras, and had simple advice for motorists.
“If they do the right thing they won’t get caught,” Mr Wells said.
Excessive speed is one of the major contributors to danger on the road in NSW and featured in more than 7,300 accidents in 2011 alone, according to RMS statistics.
Speeding was a factor in 41 per cent of all fatal car accidents and in 17 per cent of all car accidents. It contributed to 137 fatal crashes, 3,393 injury crashes, and 3,866 accidents where no one was hurt.
As a result of these incidents, 152 people were killed and 4,664 suffered a car accident injury.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a collision that wasn’t your fault, you may be able to claim car accident compensation. Get in touch with Compensation Lawyers to discuss the circumstances of your accident.
