Page 4196 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 26 November 2013
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The review will be undertaken by experts in road safety. The government is proceeding to tender this year for the procurement of the necessary expert and specialist services needed to enable this review to get underway.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Berry.
MS BERRY: Attorney, when will the evaluation commence, and who will conduct the evaluation?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Berry for the supplementary. As I have indicated, the government expects to proceed to tender this year. I would expect the evaluation to commence in the first half of next year, with a report being finalised within the first six months of next year. This will enable us to have a well-informed policy base for any future developments in the camera safety program and also enable us to take advantage of the 10 years or more of data now available in varying forms around the operation of the road safety network to enable us to assess its efficacy and to inform future policy and capital works proposals.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Gentleman.
MR GENTLEMAN: Minister, what is the impact of speed on the safety of our roads?
MR CORBELL: I thank Mr Gentleman for the supplementary. In 2012, there were 8,312 on-road traffic crashes reported in the ACT. These involved 892 casualties, including, tragically, 12 fatalities and over 200 hospital admissions. The likelihood of being involved in a serious crash rises significantly with even minor increases in travelling speed. Australian research has shown that the risk of a serious casualty crash doubles with just a five-kilometre an hour increase on a 60-kilometre an hour urban road.
ACT Policing reports show that speeding was identified as a contributing factor in 16 of the 59, or 27 per cent, of all fatal crashes which occurred between 2008 and 2012. This is similar to the experience in other Australian jurisdictions, with national road crash data showing that speed is the main causal factor in around 30 per cent of road crashes.
So speed management, even on Canberra’s excellent road network, is critical to reducing the number of deaths and injuries on ACT roads. And this evaluation will assist us in assessing the efficacy of the speed camera network.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Coe.
MR COE: How much damage to the speed camera machinery has been caused by lightning strikes?
MR CORBELL: I am personally aware of one instance where the speed camera network has been impacted by lightning strikes and that was, of course, the point-to-point camera installed on Hindmarsh Drive prior to its commissioning. It was struck by lightning and that delayed the commissioning of that camera.
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