ORAL EVIDENCE BEFORE QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENT’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 6/Aug/10

The President and Vice President of the National Motorists Association Australia were invited by Queensland Parliament’s Economic Development Committee to discuss the issue of Queensland speed cameras further. We had previously submitted a written submission. (click here to view our written submission)

Representatives from CARRS-Q were also invitees. They accepted and indeed referred to the Queensland Transport statistic that approximately 8 in 10 fatal crashes don’t have speed as a contribution yet used that as the basis to hold that “speeding is a key issue of concern in Queensland”. Indeed, by contrast, from our perspective it appears to be the concern. We don’t believe that a 2 in 10 factor after a 50% increase following the introduction of speed cameras should make it a key issue of concern. From a safety perspective we believe that addressing 10 in 10 factors should be the key issue.

Claims of success with covert enforcement operations have been grossly exaggerated by “road safety authorities”.

Covert operations began in Queensland on Easter Thursday (1st April 2010) with some fanfare. The Courier Mail announced “COVERT speed cameras snapped 720 offenders on their first day of operation in Queensland, a haul described as ‘significantly’ higher than marked vans.” At this time the 2010 road toll was already 38 lower than 2009.

Then, as the already established trend continued, and not even two months after the introduction, they crowed about the success of the covert program.

The Courier Mail of on 31/5/10 article under the headline “Covert speed cameras credited with reducing Queensland road toll by 54” glowingly states “Road safety authorities have privately expressed the view that the reduction in the road toll can be directly linked with the introduction of covert speed cameras this year.”

Shortly later even Police Union president Ian Leavers noted "In the 14 weeks to April 4, there were 3.7 deaths a week, while in the eight weeks to May 30 when the cameras operated there were 5.1 deaths a week."