"It's a monumental rip-off of the motorist!" said Motoring expert John Cadogan.

It used to be a very difficult thing... to lose your license for speeding. Not anymore.

Drive just two kilometres with motoring expert John Cadogan and you quickly realise what's wrong with our roads.

Forty kilometres an hour, during school pick-up and drop-off... except here, (this is 40 kilometre an hour High Pedestrian Activity Zone), wedged between a sixty zone that becomes briefly a 50 kilometre an hour zone, and a 60km/h zone that lurches around a corner into 80km/h.

By the time you get to speed up to 80km/h it's quickly time to drop back down to 60km/h again... then 40km/h… that's if you're paying attention.

"You show me the other vocation in life where you're required to get a hundred per cent, not even brain surgeons have to get a hundred per cent, yet as a driver you’re expected to comply the whole time without making a single mistake," Cadogan asked.

The new plan to pick our pockets is breath-takingly simple. Lots of mobile, hidden speed cameras, run by private companies, offered big bonuses for every driver they successfully fine.

"Companies don't act in the public interest, that's what we've got government's for, companies just want profit and you can't tell me that all of those shareholders of those private contractors, they're going to want more dividends every year and the poor bunny paying is going to the golden goose, the motorist," Cadogan said.

It is a lucrative business opportunity.

In Queensland the main revenue raiser is located on Main Street at Kangaroo Point. This solitary speed camera has raked in, for the Queensland State Government, well over $1 million dollars in five months this year ($1,088,821.00).

However, New South Wales' most lucrative curb-side cash register hit nearly the same amount in only two months ($904,592.00) on this seemingly safe stretch of straight road at Cleveland Street, Moore Park in Sydney.

Victoria is always coy about their cameras. They refuse to make public the amount of revenue raised for their sites, but this site would have to be one of the worst in Melbourne, where over 450 motorists are slugged every day.

"The level of greed demonstrated by the government has never reached the height it is at this day and age," said lawyer Dennis Miralis. "This is a model that places profit above safety, revenue above the rights of motorists."

Miralis specialises in fighting speed camera fines. He believes the new plan to link bonuses to the number of drivers prosecuted and fined could represent a fatal conflict of interest.

"You cannot have someone who's got any profit motive prosecuting you it just does not make any sense, we would not tolerate as a community a police officer being given $10 for every drunk driver caught, the courts would not tolerate it, the community would not tolerate it, we should not tolerate it."

"Guess what, they're factored in purely on money... the road toll could skyrocket tomorrow and these KPI's would still be in the bank, how immoral is that?" asked Cadogan.

The NRMA told us today their members are baffled by the intricate speed signage now foresting our roads. They want fewer speed zone changes and for those remaining, they want them clearly, brightly marked the road itself so there can be no doubt.

"I've had clients who've travelled through a zone which included a 100km/h zone, an 80km/h zone, a 60km/h zone and a 40km/h zone all in the space of a kilometre or less," Miralis said. "It's this type of behaviour by the RTA who are supposed to ensure fairness for motorists by making all signs clearly visible that is leading to the courts being clogged up by people challenging tickets."

"Australians have a world class talent for just copping it on the chin, so if you're at home now I urge you to write to your local member and point out that this is not acceptable," Cadogan said.

Story Links:

John Cadogan – The Drive Show

http://thedriveshow.com.au

Dennis Miralis – Not Guilty Lawyers
http://www.notguilty.com.au
Phone: (02) 9633 4966
Email: dm@notguilty.com.au