Victoria's speed camera program has been effective in improving road safety, the state's Auditor-General has found
By Ruza Zivkusic | August 31, 2011
Victoria’s speed camera program has been effective in improving road safety since its introduction almost thirty years ago, the state’s Auditor-General, Des Pearson, has found.
His report into cameras was tabled in Parliament this morning, showing that camera accuracy is largely satisfactory.
“There is a high level of confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the equipment used in the road safety camera system,” the report says.
“The equipment meets the needs of the system and legislative requirements for accuracy.
“Equipment condition is regularly tested and maintained against pre-determined standards. Furthermore, a variety of methods for detecting faults provides the Department of Justice (DOJ) with assurance that any issues that emerge between routine testing and scheduled maintenance are identified and addressed.
“To strengthen assurance, the DOJ should establish regular independent testing of the accuracy and reliability of speed measurement by mobile speed cameras under actual operating conditions,” the report adds.
Up to 1.3 million infringements were issued from road safety cameras in 2009-2010.
Point-to-point fixed speed cameras on the Hume Highway will remain deactivated until the Minister for Police approves the site for enforcement, the report says.They were suspended following a technical fault with the system which saw nine drivers being affected.
The camera maker has been fined for the fault and the camera vendor has developed changes to the software to correct the problem.
“DOJ has put in place a robust program to test the cameras to make sure new software operates correctly and the problem cannot occur again,” the report says.
