QLD Police Union Again Say Speed Cameras are Revenue Raisers Only.

[csv8]

Bligh defends covert speed cameras
June 2, 2010 - 2:44PM
Queensland's police union dismisses covert speed cameras as "poker machines on wheels", but Premier Anna Bligh insists they are an important tool to help cut the state's road toll.

Police Union president Ian Leavers says Queensland's average weekly road toll has actually increased since covert cameras were introduced in early April.

"I fear that the Bligh government is becoming addicted to the revenue of speed cameras," he said today.

"Sure they rake in the dollars, however, the deterrent effect for speedsters is non-existent."

Mr Leavers said the road toll was falling before covert cameras were put on the roads.

In the 14 weeks to April 4, there were 3.7 deaths a week, while in the eight weeks to May 30 when the cameras operated there were 5.1 deaths a week.

"There is not a shred of evidence that they have had any positive impact in reducing fatalities on our roads," Mr Leavers said.

Ms Bligh said police needed a range of tools to crack down on irresponsible road use, and covert cameras were an important part of the mix.

"We know from years of experience that it's a combination of penalties, enforcement and encouraging people to do the right thing. Every part of it is important, including speed cameras.

"... I think anybody who's out there driving knows that if you know there is a red light camera, you slow down and make sure you're travelling at the speed limit.

"That is protecting lives and we are going to keep making sure it's part of a whole suite of road safety measures."

AAP

[UNR8D]

words cant describe my hate for that cow.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by UNR8D

words cant describe my hate for that cow.

It never ceases to amaze me how a thread turns stupid within minutes sometime. How about we comment on what the Police Union said, the TRUTH!

A few weeks ago it was the Victorian (?) Police who were saying the same thing..

[Streets]

[cosmo20btt]

If stats tell the story, then how come the gov only follows the ones that present the case for cameras, and not the case for other measures for saving lives, I will vote in the person that says he will take away the ridiculous law...But I bet that whoever gets in will never change it.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by Streets

I am with you, here we go again.

How many times do we have to go over this ground?

The horse is dead people, stop flogging it!

[jpd80]

God forbid we put more patrol cars and police motorbikes on the road.
I recon that a higher police presence in the traffic is the greatest deterrent but it
probably costs way more and prevents the poker machine like income of cameras.

[Auslandau]

Sorry but this is so deja vu and agree that it just doesn't need the same points posted every week from the same peoples.

I am sure everyone here knows what everyones response is going to be .....



| [/url] |

[geckoGT]

A reply I sent to a PM but relevant here.

That is very true and that is the way they used to operate, highly visible marked cars. The question is, when they were clearly marked did they slow people down? The answer is no they did not. Sure they slowed people down in their immediate vicinity but everywhere else it was open slather.

What was our road toll like back then? The road toll percentage when compared to the number of cars on the road was much higher then than it is now.

Is this reduction in the percentage of road deaths to road users anything to do with the modern road law enforcement techniques, is it from improved car safety, is it from improved driver training or is it a combination of all these? We can not tell which is responsible, there have been too many changes at once to identify which is most effective. I would say it is a combination of all the mentioned elements plus a few more.

The new efforts of road law enforcement such as covert speed cameras and unmarked cars works on a theory of "anywhere, anytime if you speed you may be caught". This is not a silly concept and without doubt has an effect on some people. I know for myself I used to often sit above the limit as I could spot a marked camera unit a mile off, long before it could get a pic of me. Now that the vehicles are not all the same and not marked, any parked car could be a camera unit and as such I have slowed down. How many people has it had this effect on? I have no idea, but it worked for me. Am I worse off for it, is my life more difficult? No, not at all.

Final thought for you, I scrape less dead bodies and less seriously injured out of cars now than I did 5 years ago. To me, something is working and I have less ghosts to carry around with me so I like it.