Page 3960 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 2011
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Another said, “Big Brother is here.” Another caller said he would like to start a coffee stall in between the point-to-point cameras in particular and sell coffee to those who have slowed down dramatically to avoid being caught speeding. I think that is most likely going to be the driver behaviour we are going to see changing.
I have serious concerns from both road safety and privacy points of view. I believe that the bill we have before us is not good legislation and is based on poor policy. The Canberra Liberals will be voting against this legislation.
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (5.21): The Greens approach the issue of speed cameras primarily from the perspective of road safety. We are supportive of new initiatives and new technologies that will help to keep ACT road users safe, and will contribute to a reduction in the deaths and injuries that occur on our roads each year.
The reality is that speed is one of the main contributors to trauma on our roads. I was pleased to see that Mr Coe explored this issue earlier in the year. He asked the government on notice how many motor vehicle accidents in the ACT occurred as a result of speeding. The investigations of the ACT police determined that, of the 15 fatal collisions occurring in 2010, speed was a contributing factor in five. At the time of the answer, speed was recorded as a factor in one of the two fatal collisions that occurred in 2011. This is a very important statistic. Speed on the roads is contributing to road deaths. People who speed endanger themselves as well as the lives of others in the community. Policymakers have an obligation to take reasonable steps to stop this.
The Greens are satisfied with the evidence demonstrating that speed cameras, including point-to-point cameras, reduce speeding and reduce accidents. For example, research from the Monash University Accident Research Centre demonstrated the nexus between speed cameras and the risk of fatal crashes. Two studies found, amongst other things, that the risk of fatal crashes fell by as much as 44 per cent in areas where speed cameras operated.
The AECOM forward design study on point-to-point cameras found similar evidence specifically for point-to-point cameras. It said:
National and international experience has shown that P2P systems are effective in reducing the number and severity of crashes …
One of the studies it cited related to the introduction of a point-to-point camera on a stretch of road in the Netherlands. It reduced the total number of accidents by 47 per cent and detected a transgression rate of only 0.5 per cent. The AECOM study did point out that there can be a shift in the locations where speeding occurs to areas that are not under surveillance. However, it said that careful selection of sites could result in a successful outcome in speed.
This is one of the key asks of the Greens. Point-to-point cameras should be installed in locations that are carefully determined to have the best impact improvements to safety and driver behaviour.
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