The Courier Mail is pushing nonsense that more
speed cameras will save lives and reduce the road toll. Police had a Christmas (not so) "exclusive" for the Courier Mail. Police boost speed gun numbers for 2013 in response to road toll.
Sorry Courier Mail, they tricked you about a "more speed cameras" exclusive. Television news had a Truecam exclusive weeks ago. Another had a proposed installation of speed cameras on highway gantries exclusive.
Obnoxious pieces.
Traffic Dept Public Relationers gloating about revenue Police will rake in from covert operations risk alienating people and trivialising the problem. Anti-social, dangerous behaviour is putting lives of others at risk but so many drivers don't seem worried about being photographed by a secret camera. Speed camera 'gotchas' on major thoroughfares with random and poorly managed speed limits are not changing behaviour.
If a driver happens to hear from the Traffic Camera Unit at all it could be way too late to protect innocent people. 40 days to adjudicate the allegation and send an infringement demonstrates how useless speed cameras are as road safety.
Police have one year to tell the owner someone was driving their car dangerously - (Because every k over is a killer.)
Cash from more challenging offences such as inattention, phone use, drunk, no seat belt, unlicenced gets lost in Treasury.
It does not earn generous overtime and danger money. Speed cameras feed the "Road Safety Slush Fund."
More flash show off cars.
More corny sloganistic nonsense.
More confusing signage and visual clutter on roadsides.
More drivers put at risk as Police park secret vehicles in dangerous positions.
People are driving dangerously and putting lives at risk.
They have learned that they would be lucky to see a visible Police presence.
What happens when concerned citizens attempt to call Police about the dangerous behaviour they are seeing? They are directed to a complicated "hoon hotline."
Trivialising the risk of dangerous behaviour and the need for the community to be involved increases the problem.
Police should provide accessible analysis of the road toll and their forensic studies.
They should explain why a proliferation of speed cameras is not halting drunk driving, inattention, mobile phone use, dangerous behaviour, fatigued drivers.
Public Relationers helped the CM drag out research (for a hefty fee) by Monash University which predicted more than 2800 serious crashes were prevented in 2007 because of mobile speed cameras. That line has had a great run but is PR nonsense.
Did it come from the manufacturers publicity manual or the lobbyist?
Speed was a factor in 47 deaths on Queensland Roads in 2011.
Each death is a tragedy.
Each death and injury should be a transparent case study.
Gloating about revenue raised to promote more speed cameras hides a failure by Police to change behaviour at traffic trouble spots.
Revenue should be decreasing at each trouble site if the right strategies in place.
When there is outrageous driving in a local neighbourhood or in a terrible incident we should know why the perpetrator had not been identified earlier.
How many complaints have been ignored about their dangerous behaviour?
They don't just decide to start showing off and speeding the night of their tragic accident.
They learned they were untouchable.
They were so smug that no one would have the guts to lodge a complaint, and even if they did, nothing would happen.
Sure, the Police can entrap thousands of people exceeding a random speed limit on roads when traffic is flowing well with covert 'overtime' earning operations.
It raises revenue but has not reinforced good behaviour of hundreds of drivers passing those locations. Police are not allowed to pull over drivers and commend them for doing the right thing. That would require special legislation.
They are not allowed to intervene at hotels and clubs BEFORE drivers even think about getting in their car to drive home.
Speed cameras are a lucrative source of income for officers who can get the gig. It boosts their overtime and earn danger money for hiding and surprising drivers.
How many concerned citizens are aware of the local traffic committee report for their area compiled by Police, Council, RACQ, Transport Department delegates?
Those reports should be available.
Even if speed limits are based on data that is years out of date and inaccurate the scrutiny of concerned citizens, driving schools, community groups can help Police get more up to date information on hot spots. Information should not be top secret.
Supt Fogg representing the Police came up with a ripper quote ... he has "observed a decrease in fatal crashes and injury crashes since we've introduced speed cameras."
He has observed huge increases in revenue, supposedly for road safety purposes.
Possible solutions :
1. Contact vehicle owners exceeding the speed limit within 24 hours. Clarify contact details are correct and that they know their vehicle was in the vicinity of a speed camera deployment. Advise they may have exceeded the speed limit so they can review what happened immediately. Advise that as every k over is a killer they may expect to hear from the traffic camera unit if adjudicators agree. This action may save lives.
Hundreds who escape an infringment notice would reflect on their actions if they knew they were found to be close to the limit. A parent whose teenager is detected can plead with their child to do the right thing before it is too late. Waiting 40 days is too long.
2. Legible, prominent signage in a safe location after drivers have passed a speed camera.
"Speed camera deployment.
Thanks for driving safely."
If you were fatigued, inattentive, talking on your mobile, texting, doing your makeup, no seat belt, unlicenced, drunk, drugged you have may have escaped this time, but don't gloat. You are putting lives at risk.
You might breathe a sigh of relief when a speeding infringement turns up because you know that being a couple of k's over the limit was the least of what they could have got you for.
3. Require the highest levels of the Police bureaucracy to get out at least once a week with junior officers to watch traffic in a trouble spot. One of the best motivators to behave is for families to see officers watching: Not hiding, not pointing a gun at them, not driving an unmarked but very flash Police Car. Not interfering with safety of motorists by parking dangerously to create a so called "corridor of safety." Not scaring the stuffing out of other motorists by blasting the vicinity with a loud siren in an unmarked car. Encourage children to politely help monitor speed and behaviour of their parents.
4. An alternative road safety measure on first traffic infringement is to require the driver to undertake a lesson with an approved driving school at their expense to remedy the problem behaviour. Requiring them to practice skills of staying alive and ensuring other road users are safe will promote road safety. Give the owner of the vehicle up to one month to provide evidence the driver has had a driving lesson or the fine will be processed. Local schools and halls could be used to provide driver training for community minded people and those with a first time traffic offence.
Viewing a video or youtube presentation of what Police have learned from incidents could be required of those who have been accused of dangerous behaviour.
Should Police tolerate dangerous driving? No.
Should they be targeting dangerous behaviour? Yes
Should they be acting as revenue raisers and publicists for the speed camera organisations and their lobbyists? No.
Phil Young
47 cornflower St
Mansfield 4122
0421796922
Thanks True Cam - you will solve bad driver behaviour
Involve the Community to reduce road toll
There will never be enough police out on the roads to protect innocent people from the consequence of dangerous, selfish behaviour on the roads.
I propose a "Road Safety Hotline" where community minded people can provide information to support drivers who may need to develop better habits.
Volunteers trained by Police could make non-threatening calls to the owners of vehicles and motorbikes confirming their contact details are correct, asking if they would like to comment on reports about the way their vehicle was driven.
Examples :
2. Monday 31 December - 8.10 am Creek Road Carindale ... Rego 207 LGG - Brake light not working - I was beside the driver at two sets of lights but could not get her attention - without blowing the horn as it may have startled her. She was head down, possibly praying or distracted. Driving one handed as we approached the second set of lights and again, waving while parked beside her could not get her attention. Not indicating, she made a sudden (reckless) left turn into Old Cleveland Road.
2. Monday 31 December - 8.30 am Creek Road Carindale ... Male entertainer signage - Rego Personal plate - 8I7CHZ Black Holden Astra
The female driver sped past my vehicle (in a 70 kmh) zone, I caught up to her at red lights and politely attempted to let her know the brake light was not working. She scowled/said something and sped off when the lights turned green.
3. Motorbike : Rego ... Tuesday 1 January 2013
Holland - Logan Road intersection & Holland - Cavendish Road intersection.
When traffic lights turned green at two busy intersections, the rider took off at speed, doing a wheelie for 100 metres. Children on the footpath.
While gloating about the millions earned from speed cameras Police claim they don't have resources to make a call to the driver to get their side of the story.
Experienced officers should be visible on the roads, not hiding in the back of unmarked vehicles. Speed is just one part of the problem but it is the most lucrative revenue raiser.
Parking on poorly constructed roadsides to conduct the gotcha is high risk for the officers involved.
2 comments:
My pet peeve is stop signs. We have one at the end of our street which is clearly observable from our kitchen window. I would say less than 2% of cars that come through the intersection do in fact s t o p. It is particularly bad between 4.30 - 5pm week nights as all the workers head home and take a short cut through this way to avoid lights. It is interesting to note 4x4 toorak tractors seem to form the biggest group that do not obey simple road sign directions.
Record number plates and pass them on to your local politicians and police. Ask what they will do about it to help you solve the problem?
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