Just what we always wanted.

[FG XR]

Sorry if this has being posted but i did check before.



DRIVERS are about to be whacked by mobile speed cameras the NSW Government believes will help deliver more than $100 million in fines this financial year alone.

Macquarie Bank, dubbed "the millionaires' factory" because of the huge salaries paid to executives, is attempting to secure a cut of the bonanza by launching a $275 million takeover bid for Redflex, the company contracted by the State Government to operate the cameras.

An initial fleet of six camera vehicles will be rolled out from July 19 at traffic black spots across NSW with plans for more next financial year.

Video: Take a look at the high-tech vehicles

They can fine six drivers every second.

Budget papers reveal that revenue from fines will almost double from $295 million in 2008-09 to $570 million in 2011-12.

The fleet of white Ford Territory vans will carry radar cameras that can catch as many as six speeding cars travelling in either direction, every second, day or night, regardless of weather conditions.
The vans also record video and have roof-mounted CCTV cameras.

An initial fleet of six camera vehicles will be rolled out in eight days, with plans for more next financial year.

The NSW Government refuses to disclose how much of the revenue will go to Redflex, which also supplies fixed speed cameras, but the Victoria-based company is now the target of a takeover bid by Macquarie Bank.

The bank and two of its wholly owned subsidiaries - Macquarie Radar Holdings and Macquarie Special Situations Master Fund - bought 10 per cent of Redflex in June.

Macquarie Bank has made billions out of privatising roads and airports in NSW. Last year, the corporate giant made more than $1 billion.

Drivers will not be warned before driving into the mobile speed camera's zone. A small sign on the vehicle reads: "Safe speed check". Another sign placed at the roadside will inform motorists: "Your speed has been checked."

The speed camera locations will be uploaded daily to the Roads and Traffic Authority website to encourage drivers to slow down.

Fines will also be waived for the first month of operation, with drivers receiving a warning letter, instead.

The Sunday Telegraph was given the first look at the new vehicles last week. Each has two bi-directional radars to measure the speed of as many as six lanes of traffic.

Inside the boot is an 11- megapixel digital camera, which will take two photographs of speeding motorists.

Alongside the digital camera is a video camera, which will record continuously to monitor the road. On the roof is the infrared flash, which is invisible to the naked eye to avoid distracting drivers caught at night.

Mobile speed cameras will be parked at each destination for three hours, before moving on to a new location.

"The mobile speed cameras will only be placed in locations with a high accident history as determined by the RTA in consultation with NSW Police," Dr Soames Job, director of the RTA's Centre for Road Safety, said.

The NSW Government has refused to specify what proportion of its $137 million increase in fines will come from the mobile cameras. Last year, about $62 million was collected by fixed speed cameras.

Based on the Budget figures and an average fine of $211, an estimated 1600 more drivers a day could be booked this financial year.

Mobile cameras have been responsible for a sharp increase in speeding fines in Victoria, where 50,000 drivers a month are caught. Angry motorists claim they are simply a revenue-raising tool.

NSW Roads Minister David Borger said he was determined to cut the road toll and the mobile cameras would help.

The NRMA wants a review of the cameras if the road toll remains unchanged.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/new-...#ixzz0tLaZ1ioQ

[super-xr]

How pathetic. That really takes " flash for cash " to a new level.

[snappy]

I hope the ball joints fail

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by snappy

I hope the ball joints fail

Pure gold mate, thanks. what a complete rort

[seduced_xr]

hahahaha that would be good. none of that **** here in WA.

radar detector + GPS with speed trap alerts = 0 fines, over the revenue raising.

[LeadFoot81]

This is disgusting. Full stop.

I'm against unsafe driving and unsafe speeding but this is ridiculous.

[Gaz]

I like the last line, if the toll doesn't change NRMA wants a speed camera review. It's safe to say if the toll doesn't change then they can't argue their effectiveness.

I like their reasoning for the infrared flash too.. so it doesn't distract.. haha, no so you;
A) don't know you've been booked
B) doesn't warn following cars of the camera

[Green X]

The fact that road safty has been turned into a buisness and a Profitable one at that is disgraceful how there is not public outcry over this shows how stupid we have become.

[chevypower]

I like how there are dollar targets and targets for number of fines issued. No targets for saving lives? I'll be darned! People really need to make this an election issue.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by Green X

The fact that road safty has been turned into a buisness and a Profitable one at that is disgraceful how there is not public outcry over this shows how stupid we have become.

Forshame on you.. pointing out the truth..

[LTDHO]

If you speed, then you kill. Ha ha

This reminds me of those lame speeding ad's they played during the V8's yesterday..

Oh well, the rich get richer as always.

[Quicksand]

Good to see the NSW government supporting Ford by buying some Territory's

[El Venom]

I still fail to see how these are a deterant. They are trying to digiuse what they are so if you do get caught you dont know about it and in the time it takes for the government to do all the stuff needed to get the fine in your mail box you could have killed someone on the road. This is just another way to make more money to line the governments pockets. The police are just getting more and more lazy and wanting more money. Why not spend the money for speed cameras on something like training a more highway partol personal to actually so people that they are trying to stop the speeders instead of just making money.

[rodderz]

Once again, more camera's doesn't fix the root of the problem. People still aren't getting educated through these ways of dealing with speed.

People get a fine, they get annoyed they have lost money and points, not that what they have done is potentially dangerous and need some changes to their driving style. Then their kids learn the same attitude.

[DBourne]

I feel safer already
(sarcasm)

[dave289]

julia needs the 900 back that kev gave to every tom dick and harry so we can keep the polies wages topped up nice and high, not to mention there massive lifetime pensions,where else do you think the money is going to come from,kev spent everything in the bank. 4 kay over is a drift ,evrybody knows this sort of thing increases the road toll as they now need to watch the speedo constantly instead of watching the actual road, sorry I have not read threw the thread but just wanted to give my 2 cents worth of frustration with this sort of crap,absolute stupidity at its best and these are the tools running this country.you cant thank everybody who thought australia needed a change and voted out a perfect pm like little johnny to put a tool like krudd at the helm. the current polies dont resemble anything in the way of a leader,once again thanks to the tools that voted this tool in,hope your all happy with the crap will now cop and theres going to be a lot more where that came from.

[deesun]

^^^^ Really nothing to do with Julia as this is a state thing not Federal. So lets try to keep the nasty politics aside.

[dave289]

Originally Posted by deesun

^^^^ Really nothing to do with Julia as this is a state thing not Federal. So lets try to keep the nasty politics aside.

mates its ripping people off deliberately ,state or federal our state taxes go elsewhere,its all to do with politics buddy ,cant you see that, dont tell me to keep nasty politics aside when that is exactly what this is about.

[Fled74]

Think of it this way: at least there will be signs telling you your speed is being checked, and their locations made known to the public via the RTA website. They will also be deployed in known blackspots. These are positive points in my eyes.

What I find disgusting is that the government is already "counting their chickens" with the dollar targets, even before these cameras have been rolled out.

[deesun]

Originally Posted by dave289

mates its ripping people off deliberately ,state or federal our state taxes go elsewhere,its all to do with politics buddy ,cant you see that, dont tell me to keep nasty politics aside when that is exactly what this is about.

I didn't say you were wrong about it being a ripoff just the way you were saying it. This might be worth a read. http://www.fordforums.com.au/announc...nouncementid=2

[ltd]

NEWSFLASH

In keeping with the times and having seen successful use of missions statements in other states, the NSW government is again going to start adorning its website with a motto of its own. "NSW Government; We've got what it takes to take what you've got".
Also, in keeping with this theme the new range of number plates will no longer have "NEW SOUTH WALES" embossed in the lower portion, it will now read "NSW - BRING YOUR WALLETS $$$$$$".

Absolutely disgusting. I hate what our once great state has become.

[ROBO332]

Or was that NSW the communist state were the goverment dictates :hrod

[MAD]

Originally Posted by Fled74

They will also be deployed in known blackspots. These are positive points in my eyes.

Just like in Victoria.... on the Dandenong bypass, the Geelong Freeway, Eastlink, and any other place that looks like a good place to catch people that slightly drift over the limit but has had all of 2 accidents in the last 10 years.

I wonder how you get crash statistics prior to the grand opening....

[SteveJH]

Originally Posted by Fled74

Think of it this way: at least there will be signs telling you your speed is being checked,

After its been checked....

[GTWHOA]

Anyone else noticed the highway patrol out in force lately? Maybe afraid of becoming redundant.. They might have to limit thier time getting free cappacinos and banana bread from Mc'cafe.

[AUIIPURSUIT]

its 3kmh over in vic, regardless of speed and 1km if they use the new laser detection. you guys have had it easy. Vics being rorting its drivers for years.

[Fled74]

Originally Posted by Coyote V8

An initial fleet of six camera vehicles will be rolled out from July 19 at traffic black spots across NSW with plans for more next financial year.
*SNIP*
Fines will also be waived for the first month of operation, with drivers receiving a warning letter, instead.
*SNIP*
"The mobile speed cameras will only be placed in locations with a high accident history as determined by the RTA in consultation with NSW Police," Dr Soames Job, director of the RTA's Centre for Road Safety, said.

Originally Posted by MAD

I wonder how you get crash statistics prior to the grand opening....

Surely there are many known black spots that don't have fixed cameras or regular police presence and would benefit from mobile cameras?

I admit that speed cameras would be a far more effective deterrent if they were more visible (painted yellow, locations known, more warning signs, etc) like in the UK. Too many here are hidden behind highway signs and overpasses and painted to "camouflage" them. Better that you know immediately you're being checked than to get a surprise fine in the mail a few months later.

It's been said here that if you don't speed then you have nothing to worry about, and I wholeheartedly agree. Although it's easy for me to talk; in my 18 years of driving I've only been done for speeding once, and that was 5kph over the limit.

[MAD]

There is device tolerance and speed limit tolerance.
The only device tolerances that I know of for certain are 3km/h for mobile cameras, and 2km/h for fixed cameras.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by Fled74

Surely there are many known black spots that don't have fixed cameras or regular police presence and would benefit from mobile cameras?

I admit that speed cameras would be a far more effective deterrent if they were more visible (painted yellow, locations known, more warning signs, etc) like in the UK. Too many here are hidden behind highway signs and overpasses and painted to "camouflage" them. Better that you know immediately you're being checked than to get a surprise fine in the mail a few months later.

It's been said here that if you don't speed then you have nothing to worry about, and I wholeheartedly agree. Although it's easy for me to talk; in my 18 years of driving I've only been done for speeding once, and that was 5kph over the limit.

I think speed cameras lull people into thinking that they are driving safe as long as they are below the limit, they cause people to focus too much on their speed and speedometer. I believe that this perception that speed cameras will help at blackspots is a furphy, and frankly I think they could make these blackspots worse.

Kind of like how in SA at intersections with red light/speed camers there has been a dramatic increase in serious accidents - people become too focused on the speed aspect and zone out on everything else.

[mrbaxr6t]

OK guys we all hate speed cameras and the dirty sneaky way they are deployed but locally to me on the front cover of the local paper a while ago was a police officer in full camo gear (army style) with his stupid little cash register pointing at the road (highway) what hope does anybody have of spotting that kind of thing? answer is zero thats what.

if you really want to hurt them bad do the right thing all the time for a full financial year and when their revenues don't hit targets (their speeding infringement revenue that is) and the road toll increases because everybody is looking at their speedos sit back and watch as they try and spin that around somehow. If it goes on long enough they will stop spending money on speed camera equipment as it is not yielding a return.