There has been some commentary surrounding the use of unmarked mobile speed cameras in Queensland today, Queensland Police say.
The use of unmarked mobile speed cameras is just one of a suite of measures employed by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) aimed at reducing the state’s road toll.
There are 18 unmarked mobile speed camera vehicles in use across Queensland.
During the 2016-17 financial year there were 106,741 notices issued by unmarked mobile speed cameras in Queensland and 163,176 notices issued by marked mobile speed cameras.
The QPS has no plan to phase out the use of unmarked mobile speed cameras.
Recent research (Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) – Cameron) has determined that the mixed use of both covert and overt mobile speed cameras would produce the best road safety outcomes due to the strong effect that covert cameras have on fatality crashes (as their unknown nature suppresses vehicle speeds across the network thus reducing crash severity) combined with the substantial general effect overt cameras have on casualty crashes.
Results of the 2017 evaluation conducted by MUARC estimated that the Camera Detected Offence Program (CDOP) was associated with an overall reduction in police-reported casualty crashes of between 24 and 30 per cent from 2013 and 2015. This represents an annual crash saving of 3,900 police-reported crashes between 2013 and 2015, translating to annual savings to the community of around $1.6 billion per year. Over 98% of the saving associated with the program are attributed to the mobile speed camera program with its’ ‘anywhere, anytime’ philosophy.
Assistant Commissioner Mike Keating
Road Policing Command
Assistant Commissioner Keating made reference to the following documents:
Let’s change the way we look at speed
Join the Drive – speeding fact sheet
State of the Road A Fact Sheet of the Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q)
