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Victoria leads speed camera revenue

Fixed speed camera Victoria - fines suspended virus plate scam

Victoria leads the nation in plundering motorists with speed camera fines, reaping $363.15 million last financial year which is more than a third of the national total of $1.1 billion.

The figures for the 2016-17 financial year were quoted in a press release from Ford which suggests that Driver Assist Technologies (DATs) built into their Ranger and Everest can help save motorists form speeding fines.

These technologies are a big step toward autonomous self-driving vehicles.

While many critics of self-driving vehicles, especially motorcyclists, are concerned about the speed at which the technology is hitting the market, Ford has cleverly hit the hip-pocket nerve to gain support for the technology.

Speed camera revenue

Their release says Victoria sits at the top of the charts for speed camera revenues:

Fines from fixed and mobile traffic cameras topped $363.15 million in the state, as shown in the 2015-2016 Department of Justice and Regulation Annual Report.

This figure does not include police-issued ‘on-the-spot’ fines for speeding and other offences, which amounted to an additional $136.55 million – making a staggering $499.7 million leaving the pockets of Victorian motorists every year.radar police speed camera demerit hidden

New South Wales (NSW) isn’t far behind. Statistics from Revenue NSW (part of the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation) show 2016-2017 revenues from speed and red-light cameras at around $193.92 million, and police-issued speeding fines at about $80.86 million– a total of $274.78 million.

Extrapolating from these figures across the two most-populous states of Victoria and New South Wales, speeding fine revenue is upwards of $700 million.

When you add to this the reported $174 million in South Australia, $226 million in Queensland, and $97 million in Western Australia (all 2015 figures), plus Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, and total speeding fine revenue across Australia easily tops $1.1 billion annually.

  1. The only time I’ve been fined by a fixed speed camera is while visiting South Australia heading towards Adelaide on the South Eastern Freeway. I wasn’t aware that they electronically “adjust” the posted speeds for the conditions & missed the fact that the usual posted speed limit of 90km was now 70km, I was travelling with surrounding traffic but was luckily only doing 78km in the adjusted speed zone. I only found out a few weeks later when the fine showed up in the mail & I did some research on this particular stretch of road. The funny thing was it was a perfectly clear day, no fog, no rain, & relatively light traffic, so I can’t imagine why there was a lower speed limit that particular day. Now this is what I call revenue raising!

  2. I wonder if anyone has done a comparison between the highest taxing state and the lowest and their crash statistics adjusted for population etc of course.
    It would be interesting to see if their cost of road trauma and hospital figures too.

  3. Interesting would be seeing the revenue per capita or per registered vehicle. It might look different then…

  4. regarding “Ford which suggests that Driver Assist Technologies (DATs) built into their Ranger and Everest can help save motorists form speeding fines.” – would be good to see link to this as cannot find any reference on Ford site or net in general? – Esp be interesting to see how their DAT can help motorists from speeding fines (doubt it)

  5. Victoria also leads Australia for the number of people shot by police. At one time more people were shot by police in Victoria than the rest of Australia combined.

  6. Revenue that comes from Infringements like Speeding is NOT BEING SPENT ON ROAD SAFETY when it goes into “Consolidated Revenue”.

    If drivers are coming to grief on unsealed or sealed roads IT IS THE FAULT OF THE DRIVER NOT DRIVING TO THE CONDITIONS. If traction is reduced due to the road being un-sealed you need to reduce your speed.
    If your vision is limited as you round bends on any (Sealed or Un-Sealed) road you need to reduce your speed so that you can see an obstacle as you round a bend and stop before you hit it.
    If the (Sealed or Un-Sealed) road has potholes corrugations, or an Un-even surface you need to slow down so you have control.
    Lets not put into the equation any stock from Farms and Properties you are passing and then there is the Wildlife that comes from cover you can’t see through and moves across the road causing you to brake hard and then hit the Wallaby or worse still a Wombat.
    If I were travelling at 60KPH is a 60KPH area in heavy fog & have an accident, you would have call saying I was a D*&%$head driving at that speed in heavy fog. I would not have been driving to the conditions.
    This exactly what is happening on Victoria’s unsealed roads.

    We have Cars (& Motorcycles) that ABS, Traction Control and a dozen other systems & MOST DRIVERS DON’T KNOW HOW TO USE THEM.
    When you are next motoring along and have a clear piece of road with no following or oncoming vehicles HID & HOLD DOWN THE BRAKES. You may well be amazed at the cars handling.

    I met a woman a few years ago that was in hospital after a Motor Vehicle Incident (not Accident as an accident can’t be avoided) she was describing that she jumped on the brakes and “The Car started Shuddering so I took my foot off the brake”.
    When I said that the “Car Shuddering” was the ABS System cutting in & out so you would not lock-up the brakes.
    Her answer was “I don’t thing my 2010 BMW has ABS because I have never heard of it”.

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