Queensland Police to use more covert speed traps
Dec 13th, 2009 by admin
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.
These are being installed in Brisbane from December 2009
Project called ..no one dies today every day…
mrs bligh,
if you are realy happy to not get any money from speed detection devices or a traffic safty managment plan . then you would only be happy to give the money back to the community in equal value except the cost of running and reparing the devices . by fixing old roads that are killing people as example of where to start~! cunning hams gap,the new england high way and per haps the biggest death section of our roads the bruce high way from caboolture to maroochydoor even some gaurd rail in that section would be a great cheap start.
how about we start fines for un fixed roads mrs bligh .
i dare you .
phill w
father of 5
So the Government is going to make someone fit a Interlock to thier vehicle if the commit one of the 4 offences above, eg blow over .15. What if they have more then one vehicle? Are they going to make them pay for 2 or 3 of them to put on all of thier vehicles? and they are $2k-$3k each! hmmmm
Of course the thing missed out of all this is a proper factor analysis of the primary contributing causes to accidents in general.
There is, much how it was argued in the UK, a view that since the more spectacular accidents often involve crazies driving at ridiculous speeds therefore it follows that 10km over the limit is “hooning”, “irresponsible” or whatever — and of course posing a threat to every woman and especially child, or even baby, in the state.
Regrettably, the logic doesn’t wash, most crashes are at below the legal speed and are caused by lack of “due care and attention” including driving at a legal speed where it is inappropriate to do so.
I understand that one doesn’t want to let reason get in the way of a political “message” when one is desperate, if unlikely, to get re-elected but I’d have expected the police to have a more mature view, not completely based on the relatively few most horrific accidents they certainly do have to attend.