New plan for speed camera signs slammed by critics

All speed camera warning signs could be removed from roads across NSW under a proposed new plan.

While the state government claims the move could save dozens of lives every year, others have slammed it as a money-grabbing scheme which will lead to more fines being issued, News Corp reports.

“Expert advice says we could save 54 lives a year by removing speed camera warning signs,” Mr Constance said in a statement.

While the state government claims the move could save numerous lives every year, others have touted it as a money-grabbing scheme - increasing the number in fines. Source: AAP
While the state government claims the move could save numerous lives every year, others have touted it as a money-grabbing scheme - increasing the number in fines. Source: AAP

“We will consider any advice that tells us we can save lives.”

The state currently has 110 fixed speed cameras and roughly 45 mobile cameras across the state.

“It is estimated that speed-related crashes cost the community around $1.7 billion each year in NSW,” a report by the Auditor-General revealed last year.

“Community costs include emergency services, hospital and health care and loss of productivity in the workplace.”

The report concluded that the use of multiple warning signs limit the ability of the mobile speed camera program to effectively deter speeding.

“If we continue to have signage, that defeats the purpose in changing people’s behaviour. People need to understand that they could be caught anywhere on the road network at any time, doing the wrong thing,” Mr Constance said, according to News.com.au.

“Everybody needs to know fine revenue goes straight into a road safety fund to educate people on what they’ve done wrong in the first place,” he added.

Pictured is a speed camera in Sydney. Source: AAP
NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury told Yahoo News the warning signs are an important part of the vital work that the cameras do. Source: AAP

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury told Yahoo News the warning signs are an important part of the vital work that the cameras do.

“They act as an educational tool and we know it works,” he said.

“There will be an increase in revenue if they remove the signs - that is a fact.

“But we don’t want to be talking about revenue - we want to be talking about what we can do, that the public will support, that will reduce the road toll and we don’t think removing the signs will do that.”

Critics have been quick to slam the possible change online.

“Speed by itself doesn’t cause a crash. It’s the combination of speed and distraction, error in judgment, drink/drug driving, lack of attention to other drivers. Easier to address the speed issue because it’s too hard to fix the other elements that lead to a crash,” one man said.

“Just proves it is just a revenue raising measure not just a safety measure,” another said.

“I reckon it would cause more accidents. People will notice the camera at the last moment and slam on the brakes,” a third chimed in.

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