Queensland’s Police Union president Ian Leavers questions whether an increase in the number of speed cameras is anything more than a revenue-raising exercise.

At last – someone else is finally stepping up and calling the speed camera program for what it is…collecting more state revenue under a  masquerade of road safety.

Last year police clocked up 70,000 hours of speed camera operations and the rollout of digital cameras mid-2010 is expected to increase that figure considerably.

In addition, 30 per cent of speed camera hours will be able to be completed covertly.

Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson has insisted the expansion of the speed camera program was aimed solely at cutting the road toll. He regularly points out that the only year the toll fell under 300 deaths was in 1998 – after speed cameras were introduced.

But QPU general president Ian Leavers said the public “would not support State Government revenue-raising initiatives that masquerade as road safety programs”. He said there was no doubt speed cameras had their place but it was vital public confidence not be undermined by revenue-raising suspicions.

“There has been a big increase in the money collected by speed cameras in recent years, but there has been little discernible positive impact on the road toll,” he said.

From 2007 to 2008, the number of speeding fines issued in Queensland soared 35 per cent to 663,020, and road fatalities fell 9.2 per cent from 360 to 327. Last year, the toll again climbed to 330 lives lost.

Mr Leavers doubted that more cameras would impact anything other than the amount of money collected.

“It’s time the focus moved more towards increasing traffic enforcement by officers, on bikes and in cars, who are capable of detecting drink-driving, unlicensed or dangerous driving and unroadworthy vehicles,” he said.

Testing has begun at seven new speed-camera locations throughout southeast Queensland with a view to them being operational by mid-2010.

Speed and red-light cameras are being trialled at the corner of Waterworks Rd and Jubilee Tce, Ashgrove, and Beaudesert and Compton roads, Calamvale.

Three fixed speed cameras are being tested at the Pacific Motorway at Loganholme, the Gateway Arterial at Nudgee and the Clem7 Tunnel between Woolloongabba and Bowen Hills. A point-to-point camera system is on trial on the Bruce Highway between Caloundra Rd and Wild Horse Mountain at Beerburrum.

SECRET speed camera vehicles with no warning signs, point-to-point speed cameras, alcohol ignition interlock devices and new speed traps will be part of Queensland’s biggest road safety blitz next year.

Police will use undercover vehicles – in a variety of models, makes, ages and colours, with no advance warning or departure signs at the site – in an all-out bid to lower the state’s shocking road toll, which is likely to reach 340 this year.

Premier Bligh has announced State Government plans to embark on one of the most stringent and co-ordinated road safety campaigns in Queensland’s history.

“I would be happy if we didn’t make a dollar out of this because that would mean that people weren’t speeding,” she told reporters today at the opening of a new rail extension at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast.

The State Government will reveal details of its new two-year Road Safety Action Plan today, including unprecedented measures aimed at cracking down on speeding and drink driving.

Premier Anna Bligh told The Sunday Mail it was clear the present speed and drink-driving messages were not getting through to some motorists.

She made no apology for resorting to sneaky, covert tactics to nab leadfoot drivers.

“Despite pleas from police, emergency personnel, road safety experts and even victims’ families, a dangerous minority continue to ignore the road safety basics,” Ms Bligh said.

“My message is simple: it’s got to stop. These measures are about doing what we can to make that happen.”

Among the tough new measures to be announced today:

• Point-to-point cameras, to catch motorists who slow down before a camera then speed up.

• Red-light cameras which also measure the car’s speed.

• A third of mobile speed camera vehicles to be unmarked and undercover.

• A system of alcohol ignition interlock devices, which cost between $2000 and $3000, to be rolled out next year.

The Government will finally act on a three-year-old promise to force repeat drink-drivers to fit the alcohol ignition locks to their vehicles.

Offenders will be made to pay for the devices themselves, and the car will not start if the driver has been drinking.

They are used in Victoria, New South Wales, the Northern Territory and South Australia.

“International research shows that re-offences are reduced by 73 per cent when these alcohol interlockers are used,” Ms Bligh said. “The bottom line is that means this scheme will save lives.”

The Premier said the interlockers will be mandatory for offenders convicted of:

• Driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 or more.

• Failing to provide a specimen of breath or blood.

• Committing their second drink-driving offence within five years.

• Operating a vehicle dangerously while under the influence.

About 35 per cent of drink drivers booked in 2008-09 were repeat offenders.

Ms Bligh said point-to-point cameras had never been used in Queensland, but were a success overseas.

Two cameras, 1km or 2km apart, measure a vehicle’s average speed.

Ms Bligh said all red-light cameras would be replaced by digital cameras that could also read the car’s speed.

In most red-light offences, motorists have sped up across the intersection, and will now get at least two tickets.

There also will be new sites for red-light cameras.

Industry experts predict the digital cameras will produce an extra $80 million a year in revenue.

All the new measures were approved at the final Cabinet meeting of the year last week – but the cost of the road safety plan has yet to be worked out.

Police Minister Neil Roberts said introducing covert enforcement for speed would be a huge deterrent, as motorists would have no idea where or when they might be caught.

That old wreck parked on the side of the road might well be a mobile speed camera vehicle in 2010-11, he said.

“Cabinet approved a maximum of 30 per cent of mobile speed camera hours be undertaken using covert speed camera vehicles in a variety of models, makes and colours with no advance warning or departure signs at the camera site,” Mr Roberts said.

“These reforms will increase the detection of motorists who speed or run red lights by improving the unpredictability and number of hours of enforcement conducted.

“You will be more likely than ever to get caught if you are speeding.”

Ms Bligh said she wasn’t concerned about the tough new measures affecting her already record-low popularity.

“What I’m worried about is the people who are dying and being injured on our roads.

Police ran a road toll campaign this year, Below 299 in 2009, but a fatality in north Queensland yesterday raised the number of deaths to 315.

“People are not only a danger to themselves, they’re a danger to everybody else.

“I want my family safe on the roads, and so does every other Queensland family,” she said.

Queensland Police will trial new high-tech cameras that will provide video and audio records of incidents on the road, from high-speed chases to roadside traffic stops.

The new camera system would be fitted to just one police car as it patrols various postings within the south east region and further afield in the state.

“We see this as being very effective in traffic management and traffic enforcement and we have a very large fleet of traffic vehicles,” Deputy Commissioner Ian Stewart said.

Police would have the option of triggering the camera system manually, while the system would automatically activate under certain circumstances, like when the siren was activated, the horn was used, when the car suddenly accelerated or braked, or when the vehicle was bumped or hit.

“When recording commences, either manually or automatically the previous 30 seconds is stored along with the current data, the camera and audio will be running at all times,” Mr Stewart said.

“It then keeps running until it is turned off, with some automatic time-outs, but there will be the ability to turn the camera off.

“The trial aims to assess improved documentation and evidentiary collection, improvements in officer safety and possible behavioural changes in officer behaviour during chases and intercepts.”

While Police could not estimate a cost for the system, a similar system in New South Wales cost $8.6 million to roll out across 340 highway patrol cars in 2004.

“I am not aware of the current cost of the technology but as this is a trial there would be a great different between a one off purchase and if we were to roll it out,” Mr Stewart said.

“We see this as being very effective in traffic management and traffic enforcement and we have a very large fleet of traffic vehicles.”

While the Queensland Police Union recently called for police to be equipped with button hole cameras and microphones, Mr Stewart said both types of recording equipment would be considered.

“The in car camera equipment is a far different proposition and is used for significantly different purposes than the button hole cameras, we see them as complementary technologies, not exclusive, so potentially we could be using both,” he said.

Mr Stewart said the cameras would not just make life easier of Queensland Police but would also reduce strain on the courts.

“The benefit to the community will be if we are able to prove a case through the use of this kind of evidence then the cost of any court hearing is reduced.” he said.

The trial will run for five months.

Queensland is projected to become the first city in the country where motorcyclists are 100% alcohol free.  This is brought about by the desperate move of authorities to lessening the road toll in the area.  Among the other measures being looked into by the department are clothing standards and EID (electronic identification devices) which would provide a huge increase on rider safety and strike a huge decrease on motorcycle accidents often causing death.

Over the last 5 years, there has been significant increase on the fatalities brought about by motorcycle accidents in Queensland – 54 riders and countless passengers have lost their lives this year so far.  That’s double the number five years ago which was 28.

The four-year motorcycle safety strategy being implemented by Queensland Transport is sought to be the answer that would eventually make the roads much safer for these riders.  As such, QT is closely considering the benefits of having a zero alcohol limit for riders as part of this strategy.  Other measures being closely considered is a new means of preventing bikes from evading speed camera detection.

In order to address the problem being experienced on motorbikes having no provision for front registration plates, RFI (Radio Frequency Identification) Devices are being developed.  This is seen to allow bikes to become identified through other means.

Bob Atkinson, Police Commissioner, has already commented on their department’s issue with bike identification which he sees as a major set back for the force in terms of implementing road rules.  According to him, some bikers who are speeding often reach back their arms just to cover their plates as they pass along speed cameras.  Not only are these people able to outrun the law.  They are also, more often than not, the ones with greater risk of accidents.  He further commended the move for newer technology as he firmly believes that it would help solve the problem.

In essence, this new technology would allow a device be placed in front of a motorcycle that would serve as a means of identifying the motorcycle.  This device would then link the motorcycle to it’s registered number or number plate.

Unaware of Queensland Transport’s plan to implement zero alcohol limits for motorcycles, Atkinson further explained that such laws have always been existent covering a wide array of road users.

On a national level, the Australian Transport Council is moving to have the minimum standards on clothing for riders be scrutinized.  Under Queensland law, for as long as riders are wearing helmets, they’ve met the standards of clothing when riding.  For Mr. Atkinson, to impose a minimum standard of dress won’t be practical.  They can and would implement it should it be introduced but he stressed that the heat in Queensland should also be put into consideration as the council continues to explore this possibility.

This move for a zero alcohol limit on bikers is being widely supported by motorcycle groups.  They also stressed that similar rules should also be enforced on other road users as well.

Just when you think you ‘ve seen extreme behaviour on the streets, you might want to check this one out.

A vandal has unbolted a fixed speed camera  from its concrete footing, leaving local authorities puzzled on the cause for this road rage.

The  newly-installed unit , located at  the side of a Darling Downs highway, has been  snapping lead foot motorists travelling westbound along the Warrego Highway at Redwood, near Toowoomba, for the past eight days.

Traffic policeman Inspector Glenn Doyle told local media that the culprit had probably been pinged by the same camera and had gone to some trouble to exact revenge.

Initial investigation reveals that the culprit had used  industrial tools to ensure damage of the  speed camera.  Several nuts were removed from the camera’s housing, causing it to topple sideways onto a barrier, missing the road.  What these industrial tools could have been is still the subject of an ongoing investigation by the police.

Apparently, the damage activated a circuit breaker inside the unit which rendered it unfit for use.

Police were notified on Tuesday and repairs were being carried out yesterday. A police spokesman said it might take a little while before they can get the speed camera working again. Hopefully, with a more protective housing to frustrate vandals next time around.

In the meantime, the  police  is wasting no time in catching the road rager responsible.  CCTV footage from the area is currently being reviewed in an effort to catch the vandal, who would face a range of charges including wilful damage.

You may want to consider carefully your answers to any questions by police next time you are pulled over.

A new automated number plate recognition system looks like a speed camera from a distance, but it can have much more of a sting in its tail.

As the system went on trial on the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday, it was enough to make police officers such as Inspector Stephen Maney smile.

“The camera reads the number plate, checks are made against the database as to whether the car is registered and who is the registered driver,” Insp Maney, the North Coast traffic co-ordinator, said.

“By the time they are pulled over by police a short distance down the road, we already know if that vehicle is unregistered, or registered to an unlicensed driver.”

The new system was trialled at Maroochydore, Nambour and Marcoola after two days of testing in Bundaberg.

“Twenty-two vehicles of interest were highlighted by noon yesterday,” Insp Maney said.

“It is an additional tool for road safety and traffic enforcement, but promises a significant scope to expand to a broader range such as persons of interest linked with vehicles.”

The system is already widely used in the United Kingdom by police.

The Sunshine Coast trial marked the eve of a statewide police first in road campaigns.

Operation Blitz’Em starts today.

It will be Queensland’s first operational school holiday taskforce to target roads before holidays begin.

“This delivers the message to people to think about what they are doing, where they are going and how and when they intend on getting there,” Insp Maney said.

“Hopefully, seeing us will make sure people factor that into their plans to get to their holiday destinations.”

Insp Maney said the effectiveness of Operation Blitz’Em on the Coast would be evaluated later this week.

“That is a reflection and recognition of the high volume of traffic that comes out this way from Brisbane and those who continue further up,” he said.

“This is about preventing and reducing the risks on the road these holidays.”

The road toll for the North Coast region sits at 69, with the Coast toll almost half of that.

During last year’s spring school holidays, 11 people were killed in road crashes in Queensland

A senior policeman allegedly clocked at 228kmh while chasing a speeding motorcycle in an unauthorised pursuit north of Brisbane is tipped to hang on to his job despite a Crime and Misconduct Commission inquiry.

Senior Sergeant Bryan Eaton has been stood down as officer-in-charge of the Pine Rivers Traffic Branch, pending an investigation over the alleged incident on the Bruce Highway at Burpengary on August 22.

It is alleged he did not have approval to carry out the high speed chase.

Senior Sergeant Eaton was investigated in 2003 over a separate pursuit along an unsealed road. The incident resulted in the deaths of two men, Andrew Hill, 33, and 49-year-old Alan Toohey, in North Queensland.

Their deaths promoted an overhaul of Queensland Police’s pursuit policy after it was found Senior Sergeant Eaton chased the pair at 75kmh before their unregistered and unroadworthy vehicle crashed into a creek bed on Anzac Day 2003.

Senior Sergeant Eaton crashed into the back of their vehicle, moments after it ran off the road, in a police four-wheel drive.

He avoided criminal charges over the men’s deaths, despite a coronial ruling he had acted in a reckless manner.

The motorcyclist on the Bruce Highway last month managed to evade Senior Sergeant Eaton, who was allegedly captured travelling at 228kmh on a fixed speed camera.

Despite his record, police sources say it is likely the Senior Sergeant will be demoted to a first ranking constable, rather than face the sack.

A source told brisbanetimes.com.au Senior Sergeant Eaton’s actions were not of a serious enough nature to warrant dismissal.

“It ordinarily would not be considered a hanging offence,” he said.

The Senior Sergeant’s involvement in the deadly pursuit in 2003 would not weigh on the decision of investigators this time, since the State Coroner found he was not at fault, the source said.

Queensland Police Service policy mandates that officers must seek approval from police communications for a road pursuit, and must immediately abandon a chase if it creates an unacceptable risk to the safety of any person.

Senior Sergeant Eaton allegedly disregarded both policies.

The Queensland Police Union advises officers to avoid pursuits, since current legsislation holds individual officers accountable for any ensuing death.

“We say to police don’t pursue … and we have for years said to police don’t pursue … because the legislation takes responsibility from criminals and puts it into the hands of police,” a Queensland Police Union spokesman said.

The Ethical Standards Command will oversee the investigation, while Senior Sergeant Eaton completes desk duties at the office of  Metropolitan North Regional Police Station.