NRMA Plan for fairer mobile speed cameras

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1 NRMA Plan for fairer mobile speed cameras March 2015 Display speed limits on warning signs Fairer guidelines for the placement of warning signs High-visibility markings on camera vehicles Regular safety audits of mobile speed camera sites

2 $ Million Mobile speed cameras in NSW Speed cameras are now an integral part of the NSW Government s road safety strategy. NRMA believes that cameras do have a role to play in keeping our roads safe, however we also strongly believe that a visible police presence is the most effective way to encourage positive changes in driver behaviour. In July 2014, mobile speed camera enforcement hours in NSW increased from 930 to 7,000 hours per month, a jump of around 650 per cent. It is more likely than ever that NSW motorists will encounter cameras as they go about their daily business. The increase in enforcement hours has translated to a significant increase in fine revenue collected by the NSW Government. In the six month period between July 2013 and December 2013, 7,381 fines were issued by mobile speed cameras, valued at $1.4 million. In the same period in 2014, 35,197 fines were issued valued at $7.3 million, an increase of approximately 420 per cent. 1 Mobile speed camera revenue 2013 vs $7.3 million $1.4 million 0 July - Dec 2013 July - Dec 2014 It is important to note that revenue from camera-issued fines is hypothecated into NSW Government road safety programs, following persistent campaigning by the NRMA. NRMA does not seek to make excuses for speeding drivers. While it is each driver s personal responsibility to drive safely and within the speed limit, NRMA believes more can be done to ensure mobile speed cameras are operating fairly and transparently. If the government s objective is to get motorists to slow down, and not to raise revenue, drivers should be given the opportunity to self-regulate. 1 NSW Office of State Revenue: Speeding and Red Light Camera Offences. Provisional data, accessed 19/01/2015

3 NRMA plan This advocacy campaign was triggered by an NRMA Member s suggestion on our interactive advocacy platform Speak Out, calling for speed limits to be displayed on mobile speed camera warning signs (point 1 of the 4-point plan). Additionally, we would like to see improvements to the visibility of signs and camera vehicles. 1. Display speed limits on warning signs for mobile speed cameras Passing a mobile speed camera without confirmation of the actual speed limit causes unnecessary anxiety for drivers. To ensure consistency with fixed speed cameras, NRMA believes mobile speed camera warning signs should also display the speed limit which is being enforced. On many arterial roads there are numerous changes in the speed limit, and drivers can easily be unsure about the speed limit in an unfamiliar area. The NSW Government has responded to NRMA s call to reduce the number of speed limit changes along sections of roads. The Government has also taken action to make warning signs for fixed red light speed cameras clearer for motorists, resulting in a substantial reduction in fines issued by some of the state s highest earning camera sites 2, meaning fewer drivers are speeding through accident black spots where cameras are typically located. Changes made to make fixed cameras fairer for drivers counter the common argument that enforcement is motivated by revenue rather than road safety. The Government has an opportunity to apply consistent road safety logic to mobile speed cameras by making similar changes to warning signs. Mobile speed camera warning sign (left), fixed camera sign with speed limit (right) and NRMA s proposed design for mobile speed cameras 3 (below) 2 The Daily Telegraph: New speed signs save lives, cash. Viewed 30/1/2015 at: 3 Image has been digitally altered

4 2. Establish fairer guidelines for the placement of warning signs Current guidelines for mobile speed camera operators require A-frame warning signs to be placed 50 metres before and after a camera vehicle and up to 250 metres before the camera vehicle 4 regardless of the speed limit. At higher speeds there is very little opportunity for drivers to slow down, even if they are driving marginally above the posted speed limit. Under current guidelines however, the requirements for displaying warning signs in a 50km/h zone are no different to a 100km/h zone. The operational range of cameras used in NSW varies due to road conditions, however drivers are typically detected approximately 30 metres from the camera. 5 If a driver cannot see the first warning sign, they therefore have 20 metres to check and adjust their speed when they pass the second warning sign. Driving at 80km/h there is less than one second to make this adjustment and many drivers will suddenly slow down when they see a camera regardless of whether they are speeding or not, creating safety risks and slowing the flow of traffic. NRMA believes warning distances must be proportionate to the speed limit. Suggested distances are shown in the graph below. Proposed distances for mobile speed camera warning signs Requirements for the visibility of warning signs should also be established. The NSW Speed Zoning Guidelines require larger, more visible signs to be erected in higher speed zones and 4 NSW Roads and Maritime Services: Mobile speed cameras, frequently asked questions. Accessed 19/01/2015 at: rms.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/heavy-vehicles/safety-compliance/speeding-camera-enforcement/mobile-speedcameras.html 5 Source: Advice received from NSW Roads and Maritime

5 set a range of other requirements to ensure the visibility of signs is commensurate with the speed of traffic. 6 Similar standards should apply to mobile speed camera warning signs. Noting the limited ability of mobile speed camera operators to carry different sign sizes, options to improve visibility such as raised signs or vehicle-mounted signs should be explored. NRMA frequently hears from Members who are frustrated at seeing warning signs placed behind parked cars, trees or garbage bins as pictured below. Mobile speed camera warning sign obstructed by a garbage bin 3. High visibility markings on camera vehicles High visibility policing through targeted increased police presence and patrol cars marked in high-visibility livery has proven successful in getting motorists to slow down both in NSW and overseas. 7 High-vis markings are now used for a wide range of incident response vehicles and vehicles which spend a lot of time on the road day-to-day, including NRMA Patrol vehicles. Being more visible reduces the risk of collisions for vehicles that need to stop or park at the roadside. Mobile speed camera vehicles on the other hand are less distinguishable from police and incident response vehicles that motorists typically expect to see parked at the roadside. Pictured below, the markings on mobile speed camera cars look more like Sydney Trains fleet cars than those of a road safety or traffic enforcement agency. NRMA believes camera vehicles should be marked in similar high-vis colours to NSW Police Highway Patrol cars in order to provide some consistency between the different vehicles used for traffic enforcement. High-vis livery on police cars also provides opportunities for the NSW Police and NSW Centre for Road Safety to display road safety messaging, as pictured below. If rolled out to mobile speed camera vehicles, there would be an opportunity to provide an extra 7,000 hours per month of road safety messaging across NSW. 6 Roads and Maritime Services: NSW Speed Zoning Guidelines, page 27. Viewed 30/1/2015 at: 7 NRMA: High Visibility Policing and its Impact on Driver Behaviour, November 2012.

6 Providing this consistency will also help to reinforce the NSW Government s message that speed enforcement is about road safety, not revenue raising. NSW Police car marked in high-vis livery (left), mobile speed camera car (right) and Sydney Trains (RailCorp) fleet car (bottom) 4. Regular safety audits of mobile speed camera sites Annual reviews of fixed speed and red light cameras provide a transparent process to ensure that these cameras are achieving safety outcomes. Where cameras are found to be ineffective or unnecessary, these reviews are used as evidence to have cameras deactivated or removed altogether. With the rapid expansion of enforcement hours and locations for mobile speed cameras, NRMA believes annual safety audits should also be undertaken for sites where mobile speed cameras operate. Again, this would provide a greater degree of consistency between mobile speed cameras and fixed camera enforcement. Safety audits should monitor reductions in crashes at mobile speed camera sites. In locations where a high number of fines are issued on a regular basis, the audit process should examine whether infrastructure improvements can be implemented to improve safety and encourage drivers to slow down.

7 For further information please contact: Government Relations and Public Policy The National Roads & Motorists Association (NRMA) PO Box 1026 STRATHFIELD NSW 2135 T: (02) E: Authorised and Printed by Nick Mowat, 9A York Street Sydney NSW 2000