Speed cameras to go full-time
Speed cameras will soon operate 24 hours a day at the five fixed sites after analysis showed rotating cameras through the locations failed to slow speeding drivers adequately.
Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey announced four more cameras would be bought so the five sites operated "24/7" as part of the response to last year's terrible road toll.
The 184 people killed and 300 seriously injured in crashes last year was the highest number in four years.
Road safety experts were critical when it was revealed last year that each of the fixed camera sites was operating only about 15 per cent of the time, with authorities saying they could not cope with the number of infringements generated if each had a permanent camera.
The five sites are on the Mitchell Freeway in Stirling and Innaloo, the Kwinana Freeway in Como and Murdoch and Roe Highway in Willetton.
Ms Harvey said the State Government had been told there would be a bigger impact on driver behaviour if the sites operated full-time, similar to the combined red light-speed cameras.
She said extra resources would be provided to process infringements if needed.
"For every one per cent reduction in average mean speeds on our road network, we get a 4 per cent reduction in our fatal crashes and a 3 per cent reduction in our serious crashes," she said.
Another initiative announced yesterday was a joint agency review of notorious crash sites in the Wheatbelt to identify new safety measures.
Office of Road Safety executive director Iain Cameron said the Wheatbelt had been chosen for the trial because of its high fatality rate and some distinctive crash patterns.
Representatives from police, Main Roads, insurance, engineers and the Injury Council will be part of a team that will visit crash sites to identify practical initiatives.
A motorcycle safety review group is being formed to analyse fatal and serious motorbike crashes from the past five years and identify safety initiatives.
Motorcyclists accounted for about 26 per cent of fatal crashes last year.
'For every one per cent drop in speed, we get a 4 per cent drop in fatal crashes.'"Road Safety Minister
Liza Harvey *
