Speed Cameras linked to Variable Speed Limits? - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

Venom XR · 01-13-2002, 19:58

The reason I ask this question, is because I read on USENET that the variable speed limit on General Holmes Drive at Mascot was set at 40km/h at midnight on a Saturday night for apparantly no reason. There is a speed camera on this road, and if the speed camera is linked to the variable speed limit (40k's) then I imagine the NSW State Government raised an exception revenue windfall that evening.

To make things worse, according to the RTA this stretch of road has no accident history. It installed the camera because it claims the road is unable to be enforced by tradition means. This is the RTA's way of saying 'police cannot extract revenue from here, we'll do it with a camera'.

Have read of this site http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/safety/c1521_c.htm

What blows me away is how they can justify cameras on my most used stretch of road, the M4 (both ways at the Cumberland Highway overpass.) Lets take east (city) bound. In the old days, when they openly the new section of road, it had a speed limit of 110. It's now 90. 1 death in 5 years. How do we know if they wasn't, say, a high speed chase gone awry? Speed of car thieves out that way, it's not inconceivable. 37 accidents, but only 14 injured. Compare that to Pacific Hwy at Herons Creek. 23 accidents, 32 injured. 38% injury rate on the M4 compared with 140% at Herons Creek. The speed camera at Herons Creek I can live with. The M4 camera is obviously a revenue raiser, as I would put my money on 90% of those accidents being heavy traffic rear-end bingles where speed has NO cause, only stupidity. Look at westbound on the M4, we have no deaths and a 31% injury rate, even less despite a higher 85th% than eastbound.

Seems to me that the only figure the RTA/NSW Gov. looks at is the 85th%, and decides if that can help maintain a regular income stream.

We need some sort of intelligent, organised campaign to rid the roads of this money-grabbing cancer. I feel sorry for Victorians, who have just had the speed tolerance reduced from 10% to 5%. Yes, that means you'll be pinched in a 60 zone for 64 and over now.

Excuse the EA S inspired post if you're bored with this stuff. At least look at the URL be educated as to the where abouts of speed cameras (other states should look theres up.)

Jesmol · 01-13-2002, 20:39

We had an issue in SA with a 40km'hr limit that had been sign posted going into the Airport, and as you can imagine the number of people that run late for planes the cameras had a field day.
A few months later somebody realised the limit was illegal because somebody had not gone through the right procedures to implement it, and they had to refund all of the tickets issued.
If I got a ticket on a temporarily posted area I'd be checking the legality of the limit first.

On the other issue, I'm almost 100% certain that there is an ADR covering vehicle building stating that a speedo must be accurate but only within 10%, therefore nobody should get caught for doing less than 66km/hr because their speedo could be legitimately showing 60km/hr. Maybe this is just another one of these urban myths?

DRU842 · 01-13-2002, 21:08

Couldn't agree more with the questions raised in your post.
I am victim of the Eastern Distributor cameras & getting the run around as to how this site can possibly be anything other than a revenue raising from the Police, RTA & my local member!
The cameras on the M5 tunels are the last straw. Any arguement of 'safety' being the primary issue with cameras has been truly dispelled with the cameras being active from day one! High speed tunnel environment my arse; its a damn motorway & one I am paying a toll to use as a high speed alternative!
I have my suspicions that somewhere there is an 'RTA lotto system', playing with the variable speed system on the M5 'cause there is no justification for the way the speed changes on this piece of road, other than for revenue raising!

PS Should we mail this thread (or similar) to motor@acp.com.au for inclusion in their revenue raising campaign?

FM · 01-13-2002, 21:33

Quote:

Originally posted by DRU842
PS Should we mail this thread (or similar) to motor@acp.com.au for inclusion in their revenue raising campaign?

Motor read here regularly matey.. I sure hope they use us for reference in their campaign. Hell I'm 100% behind it..

Aussie Pete · 01-14-2002, 01:38

I'm so close to finding out how to run for NSW parliament. Really!

DRU842 · 01-14-2002, 13:51

Perhaps we should ask the RTA to include the amount of fines generated (or at least the number of offences detected) by each camera, as well as the fatality & accident data?

HO HO HO! · 01-14-2002, 15:28

I would love to get my hands on raw accident data, just to see what percentage of "speed related" accidents were really caused by speeding. I do lots of statistics at uni so it would also be nice to see if the effects of speed camera's et al are in fact statistically significant

galahs · 05-29-2006, 07:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venom XR

The reason I ask this question, is because I read on USENET that the variable speed limit on General Holmes Drive at Mascot was set at 40km/h at midnight on a Saturday night for apparantly no reason. There is a speed camera on this road, and if the speed camera is linked to the variable speed limit (40k's) then I imagine the NSW State Government raised an exception revenue windfall that evening.

To make things worse, according to the RTA this stretch of road has no accident history. It installed the camera because it claims the road is unable to be enforced by tradition means. This is the RTA's way of saying 'police cannot extract revenue from here, we'll do it with a camera'.

Have read of this site http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/safety/c1521_c.htm

I just got pinged by this damn Speed Camera at 11:34pm on a Saturday because it changed to a 50km/h zone!

Why the hell was it 50km/h?

Its normally 70km/h. Its a 4 lane highway for goodness sake!

I was caught doing 66km/h. I was dead set suprised to see the flash go off. I was thinking, that couldn't be me. I'm below the speed. The sad thing is, I was keeping up with the traffic. They musy have all got done too.

I'm not happy jan!

Cobra302 · 07-06-2006, 05:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesmol

We had an issue in SA with a 40km'hr limit that had been sign posted going into the Airport, and as you can imagine the number of people that run late for planes the cameras had a field day.
A few months later somebody realised the limit was illegal because somebody had not gone through the right procedures to implement it, and they had to refund all of the tickets issued.
If I got a ticket on a temporarily posted area I'd be checking the legality of the limit first.

On the other issue, I'm almost 100% certain that there is an ADR covering vehicle building stating that a speedo must be accurate but only within 10%, therefore nobody should get caught for doing less than 66km/hr because their speedo could be legitimately showing 60km/hr. Maybe this is just another one of these urban myths?

South Australians should check out Radar-Reminder.com - Speed Cameras By Email, Not By Surprise! . you can get the speed cam list in your email.