Roadside camera goes up in flames as drivers warned 'evidence is collected'
As states and jurisdictions around Australia roll out new mobile roadside cameras, authorities are having to adapt to a shocking backlash.
A speed camera believed to have been intentionally set alight along a regional road over the weekend is the latest in a string of suspected arson attacks on the cameras, with drivers and authorities concerned the ongoing behaviour poses the risk of bushfires ahead of summer.
Last month, an investigation was launched in Tasmania after suspected arson attacks across the state with road authorities forced to move them around more frequently in a bid to keep them safe from vandals. And now another state is experiencing its own problems.
On Sunday night a driver caught sight of a flaming mobile speed camera (pictured above) 20 kilometres south of Proserpine in Queensland and was worried the flames could quickly spread.
"I was still on shift and returning to Proserpine. I was worried about the fire spreading and becoming a grass fire," the driver who took the images told Yahoo News Australia.
This concern was echoed by the state's Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) which said suspected arson attacks not only inflict costly damage to cameras but also threaten bushfires. The roads authority condemned any vandalism done to its mobile roadside cameras, particularly the act of arson that could have outsized consequences.
"Such acts of vandalism put communities at risk by spreading fires and encouraging unlawful driving behaviour," a spokesperson told Yahoo.
Arson attacks on speed cameras continue across Australia
Despite the TMR saying incidents like Sunday night are "not a common occurrence" in the state, CCTV footage captured a man setting a speed camera alight near Mackay, Queensland, as recently as January. There has been an increase in this behaviour in other parts of the country with Tasmanian authorities forced to move mobile speed cameras around in a bid to keep them safe from vandals.
The issue has arisen as states and territories around the country roll out a fleet of new cameras with increased capabilities to catch drivers for a myriad of road offences.
With the threat of vandalism ever present, Queensland speed cameras have security features that collect evidence if an incident does occur and spare cameras are kept "on reserve" to be used if one is damaged.
"All speed cameras feature security alarms and CCTV, and when a camera is attacked, evidence is collected and provided to the QPS [Queensland Police] to assist with its investigations," the spokesperson said. "If a camera is damaged, the camera unit is taken off the road for inspection and repairs, or replacement. However, spare cameras are held in reserve to allow for continued enforcement while repairs are undertaken."
Speed camera vandalism does little to stop speed enforcement
The TMR said "vandalism has not had an impact" on the state's ability to conduct speed enforcement, emphasising how important the speed detection devices are for safety.
There have been 196 fatalities recorded on Queensland's roads within the last year, with Aussies five times more likely to die on regional roads according to the Australian Automobile Association, yet authorities say the presence of speed cameras have deterred drivers from speeding.
"More than 99 per cent of motorists passing these cameras are doing the right thing," the TMR said.
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