Speeding motorists are on notice as new technology to crack down on dangerous driving and help save lives hits the roads.
According to a recent press release, Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville recently announced the first of the next generation mobile speed cameras.
Enforcement will start this month following extensive testing in the community.
The Minister shared that far too many people still think that speeding will not hurt anyone, and that is costing too many lives.
Minister for Roads and Minister for Road Safety and the TAC Jaala Pulford shared that the number of deaths on the roads this year is heartbreaking and this new, state-of-the-art technology is about holding motorists to account and changing driver behaviour.
About the Safety Camera
The new state-of-the-art mobile road safety cameras have the ability to capture multiple motorists simultaneously, across multiple lanes and directions, and detect speeds of up to 350 km/h.
This new technology will play a critical role in reducing road trauma and saving lives on the roads by detecting dangerous drivers and helping change the behaviour of motorists.
The cameras can identify motorists across six lanes of traffic in either direction, regardless of what side of the road the camera is set.
They include tracking radar technology and are not affected by steel obstructions, median strips or trams. They will be progressively rolled out over the next year, replacing the existing fleet of cameras.
Moreover, the cameras produce high-quality images, ensuring those risking lives by speeding are captured clearly throughout the day and night.
Background of the Initiative
The Victorian Government provided more than AU$ 120 million dollars in the 2019/20 Victorian Budget to increase mobile camera enforcement by 75% over the coming years and investigate new road safety camera capabilities.
These cameras are vital in expanding mobile camera enforcement, as new research confirms the expansion of the mobile camera network is by far the most effective and efficient way to reduce trauma on the roads.
The Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) has found that up to 60 lives could be saved and 260 serious injuries prevented every year by expanding the program by 75%.
Victoria Police currently has around 2000 sites where they set up the mobile road safety cameras.
The new technology will enable Victoria Police to deploy the cameras along busy main roads and highways, as well as suburban rat-runs.
Minister Neville explained that these cameras will help save lives, with a clear message that a driver speeding on the roads will be caught and will face the consequence.
OpenGov Asia recently reported on Smart intersection to deliver safer and more sustainable transport.
AIMES is the world-first living laboratory based on the streets of Melbourne.
It is the first transport ecosystem of its kind, where the new, emerging and integrated Internet of Things (IoT) technologies can be trialled in a real-world environment.
AIMES uses artificial intelligence to profile intersections to identify the potentially dangerous activity of vehicles and road users, including vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians.
