Speed cameras hailed as road toll falls 10pc

[OnaMission]

Speed cameras hailed as road toll falls 10pc

Covert speed cameras credited with helping

-QLD and VIC the safest states to be on road
-Australia's holiday road toll is at 44 deaths
-Nationwide campaigns targeting speeding drivers appear to have brought results, with a 10 per cent reduction in road deaths last year.



Overall, 1368 people died in road crashes last year, down 139 from 1507 deaths in 2009.

The introduction of covert speed cameras has been credited with helping reduce Queensland's road toll by a quarter to the lowest level since records began in 1952, with 247 deaths last year compared with 331 in 2009.

Despite booming population growth, Queensland and Victoria are the safest places to be on the roads.

Queensland recorded 18 per cent of the nation's road deaths last year but has 20 per cent of Australia's population.

Victoria has 25 per cent of the population but recorded 21 per cent of national road deaths, with 291 people killed, one up from 2009.

The evidence from Queensland's speed camera changes last year will put pressure on Victoria's new Baillieu government, which made a pre-election pledge to publish daily locations of mobile speed cameras.

A spokesman for Police Minister Peter Ryan said the government was consulting with police about rolling out the changes but it would not come at the expense of public safety.

"There is a wide perception that they have been revenue raisers and we want to regain public confidence in speed cameras," the spokesman said.

Opposition police spokesman James Merlino said the Coalition had to ensure any new initiatives reduced the number of road deaths.

The Northern Territory retains its position as the most deadly place for road accidents, with 3.6 per cent of last year's fatalities but only 1 per cent of the country's population.

The road toll rose from 31 in 2009 to 50 last year, the final two deaths coming from a tragic accident on New Year's Eve that killed two children.

Currently Australia's holiday road toll sits at 44 after a man was killed in a single-car collision in Bathurst yesterday evening.

The 31-year-old male driver was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to Orange Base Hospital with minor injuries.

His passenger, a 22-year-old Mount Druitt man, died at the scene.

His death takes the NSW holiday toll to nine.

The death was one of four yesterday, with one in Queensland and two in Victoria.

Police said a cyclist in his twenties was killed in a single-vehicle accident at Booroobin, near Maleny, on the Sunshine Coast hinterland, taking the Queensland toll to 12 for the holiday period.

Earlier, the death of a 53-year-old cyclist at Drysdale, south-west of Melbourne and the death of a man in a hit-run at Bendigo pushed Victoria's Christmas holiday road toll 16.

Three people have died in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, while Tasmania has recorded one fatality.

South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory remain fatality free.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: AAP

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/spee...#ixzz19vUu6fGR

[05_ENFORCER]

South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory must have millions of covert cameras if they have been fatality free

[Pedro]

What else are they going to say?
While it's a very welcome statistic, it just gave them a free ride to promote the unsubstantiated notion that speed cameras were solely responsible.

[coolozzieguy]

Originally Posted by Pedro

What else are they going to say?
While it's a very welcome statistic, it just gave them a free ride to promote the unsubstantiated notion that speed cameras were solely responsible.

Exactly.

Link

^^^^

I always think of this when I hear another report about speed\road safety cameras are the only cause of preventing crashes...

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by coolozzieguy

Exactly.

Link

^^^^

I always think of this when I hear another report about speed\road safety cameras are the only cause of preventing crashes...

Lol that video is spot on.

[InfernoSR]

So less people travelling last year makes up nothing to this statistic? there was less people travelling around as funds were a problem for alot of people, add the increased fuel prices again and higher interest rates, and there is simply less money to use for travelling...

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by InfernoSR

So less people travelling last year makes up nothing to this statistic? there was less people travelling around as funds were a problem for alot of people, add the increased fuel prices again and higher interest rates, and there is simply less money to use for travelling...

What about people buying newer cars as well?

[InfernoSR]

Originally Posted by OnaMission

Currently Australia's holiday road toll sits at 44 after a man was killed in a single-car collision in Bathurst yesterday evening.

The 31-year-old male driver was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to Orange Base Hospital with minor injuries.

His passenger, a 22-year-old Mount Druitt man, died at the scene.

His death takes the NSW holiday toll to nine.

http://mt-druitt-standard.whereilive...lled-in-crash/

A MT Druitt man has been killed in a single-vehicle crash near Bathurst last night. At about 6.15pm, a white Ford Falcon was travelling east on the Mitchell Highway between Orange and Bathurst in the Macquarie Woods region when it lost control and crashed. The 22-year-old Mt Druitt man died at the scene and a 31-year-old male driver was taken to Orange Base Hospital with minor injuries. It is believed the driver of the Ford was turning left, approximately 2km west of Vittoria Rd, when he lost control of the vehicle. Police say the car spun out of control and veered off the northern side of the road before rolling several times. An off-duty police officer, who was driving through the area, discovered the crash and tried to help the occupants. The highway was closed until 11pm while the scene was examined. Investigations are continuing and police will prepare a report for the Coroner.

Nothing stating speed was a factor, let alone the use of Speed Camera's in that area even being used... another fail statistic!

[InfernoSR]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

What about people buying newer cars as well?

Working for a dealership, from memory there was only 1 person who bought his vehicle out right... all the rest were financed, company, lease or government...

[Road Games]

Originally Posted by InfernoSR

So less people travelling last year makes up nothing to this statistic? there was less people travelling around as funds were a problem for alot of people, add the increased fuel prices again and higher interest rates, and there is simply less money to use for travelling...

Yep Mr and Mrs Jones probably accumulated to many points driving the kids to school and back/shops/maccas/newsagents/doctors/chemists/ballet classes/football...

So because they have no points left or any spare cash from paying fines for being 10k over the speed limit perhaps.. they stay home.

Less chance of becoming a fatigue statistic i suppose when you cant afford a trip away ??

[Bucknaked]

Since the introduction of speed cameras, I've stopped dying on the roads.

[Resurrection]

No mention of the following which also contribute to reducing the road toll:

Improvements to roads
Removal of accident blackspots
New cars with superior primary and secondary safety systems replacing old cars
New cars with superior crash test standards replacing old cars.

[F6T]

Lies. Damn lies. Statistics. They can be twisted to say anything you want.

[data_mine]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Since the introduction of speed cameras, I've stopped dying on the roads.

So there's the downside.



While this thread is of course:

Anyone with half a brain can see the statistics are purposefully (or negligently) misleading by not showing the entire picture.

[F6T]

Lies. Damn lies. Statistics. They can be twisted to say anything you want.

[bigsta]

what a load of *****...

3 big factors this year were;

1 less money to go around
2 Crazy weather turned off people from travelling.
3 espec with the high aussie dollar its so much cheaper to go overseas than anywhere in oz alot of ppl i know who would normally drive somewhere have gone overseas this year, if i did not have a 2 year old so would I

[Bossxr8]

Goebbels would be proud of this propaganda.

Wasn't Victoria's road toll higher than it was last year? I know it was for most of the year.

[InfernoSR]

Originally Posted by DAZZLER351

Yep Mr and Mrs Jones probably accumulated to many points driving the kids to school and back/shops/maccas/newsagents/doctors/chemists/ballet classes/football...

So because they have no points left or any spare cash from paying fines for being 10k over the speed limit perhaps.. they stay home.

Less chance of becoming a fatigue statistic i suppose when you cant afford a trip away ??

well it sure is the way i feel... hehe!

[Silver Ghia]

A fine in the post two weeks after the idiot with a death wish was photographed speeding 60kph over the limit, and caused a death has prevented it?

[ThaFlash]

i would love to know tassies driving population, given that there is a hot thread on reducing the speed limit over there and the fact that they have halved their road toll since '09. top effort how did they do it!

[Keepleft]

NT - sure, but look at its size.

[burnz]

if i take a stab at QLD tolls, would it be fair to say that holiday's less cars on the road due to flooding?

[dave351cid]

have they included the 10 people who have died in cars washed off flooded roads in the past few weeks as part of the road toll ??????

if not, why.
it seems to me that driving through floodways is more of a problem at the moment then driving 10km over the limit. shouldn`t they be setting up the camera cars at these dangerous flooded road areas to discourage the fools from atempting a crossing and iether getting washed away or a big fine.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Goebbels would be proud of this propaganda.

Wasn't Victoria's road toll higher than it was last year? I know it was for most of the year.

Was up to November then there was a lull and it came to the same as last year (well 1 less).

Anyway we look at it the government will keep putting these things in because they now need the money. If speed cameras were saving lives then they would use them in actual black spots....unfortunately in Vic only 4 of the top 20 black spots have cameras...yet these vile things are popping up everywhere.

[AWD Chaser]

Originally Posted by 05_ENFORCER

South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory must have millions of covert cameras if they have been fatality free

Pretty sure Canberra has more mobile speed vans/cars then nsw right now....

[bungarra]

C'mon Guys, a big for the government for proving they are saving our lives

[EgoFG]

Comparing this year to last is pointless without answers to these questions:

Were there more or less cars on the road ?
Were there more or less kilometers traveled ?
Were the drivers more or less experienced ?
Were there more or less non fatal accidents ?
Was the weather better or worse ?
Were average traveling speeds higher or lower ?
Were there more or less fines handed out ?
Were the cars involved older or newer ?
Was the timing of the typical holiday driving days favourable or unfavourable ?
Was speed a cause (not simply a factor) in more or less of the fatal and non fatal accidents ?
Was illegal speed a factor in more or less of the fatal and non fatal accidents ?
Has the average ANCAP rating of the cars involved in all accidents improved or worsened ?

Most of these factors are ascertainable, and definitely relevant before proclaiming a success.

[data_mine]

Originally Posted by EgoFG

Comparing this year to last is pointless without answers to these questions:

Were there more or less cars on the road ?
Were there more or less kilometers traveled ?
Were the drivers more or less experienced ?
Were there more or less non fatal accidents ?
Was the weather better or worse ?
Were average traveling speeds higher or lower ?
Were there more or less fines handed out ?
Were the cars involved older or newer ?
Was the timing of the typical holiday driving days favourable or unfavourable ?
Was speed a cause (not simply a factor) in more or less of the fatal and non fatal accidents ?
Was illegal speed a factor in more or less of the fatal and non fatal accidents ?
Has the average ANCAP rating of the cars involved in all accidents improved or worsened ?

Most of these factors are ascertainable, and definitely relevant before proclaiming a success.

Don't let facts get in the way of poor but politically favourable statistics.

[prydey]

the way i see it, vic have the highest no. of speed camera's and yet their road toll was actually up 1 from 2009. how do they then come to the conclusion that its supporting the speed camera arguement? and that its safer?

also, as pointed out, the statistics don't show which deaths were soley as a result of speed, and to be more specific - speeding!

the amount of money they spend on the speed camera network, they will do whatever they can to justify their useage.

[Fled74]

http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/blo...sk?origin=hpc2