78 new cameras in Victoria, thanks Bracks !

This current state ALP government sucks.

I'd love to punch Bracks and Batchelor in the face when I hear them crow
that these cameras are all about safety.

That's crap. If they were serious about road safety they'd be working to
increase the level of driver skill on the road and improving enforcement of
a thousand other road laws that cause accidents. How many accidents are
caused by selfish fast lane hogging forcing tailgaters and people taking
risks to overtake on the left? What about idiots turning, changing lanes
without indicating? People who drive/ride in Victoria will know what I mean.

No, it's easier and much more profitable for Bracks/Batchelor to keep
installing roadside cash registers (aka "safety cameras").

But I suppose Brumby has to find the money from somewhere to replace the
huge budget surplus they inherited from the previous government and which
they've now pissed against the wall.

Paul
VT250

New speed camera blitz
By Chris Tinkler
August 10, 2003

THE locations of 78 new red-light and speed camera traps across Victoria can
be revealed today as the Bracks Government prepares to launch a fresh war on
the road toll.

Victoria is on course for its lowest toll since records began in mid-1951,
with 214 deaths up to yesterday compared with 224 at the same stage in 1997,
the previous best year.
But Police Minister Andre Haermeyer warned that motorists should not be
complacent.
As Mr Haermeyer issued the warning, the locations of the Government's $6
million new intersection cameras have been exclusively obtained by the
Sunday Herald Sun.
A total of 85 new camera traps, aimed at Victoria's most dangerous
intersections, will be phased in from September to December.
Seven locations are yet to be decided, the Sunday Herald Sun understands,
but the other 78 are identified.
The cameras catch speeders as well as red-light runners and can film in four
directions.
Fifty-four of the sites will have cameras permanently in place. The other 31
sites will have 11 cameras rotated across them.
The new blitz will be accompanied by an advertising campaign and signs
erected at the intersections to warn motorists.
In 2002, 21 people died and 869 were seriously injured at signalled
intersections.
At the 78 intersections chosen for the cameras, there have been 1055 crashes
resulting in serious injuries or deaths in the past five years - more than
200 a year.
Wide intersections were being specifically targeted, Mr Haermeyer said.
The cameras network is expected to record millions of offences a year.
At only three trial sites, 26,000 speeding or red-light offences were caught
on film during one month - though no one was fined.
But Mr Haermeyer said he hoped nothing like that total would be caught once
the awareness campaign kicked in.
"We don't want anyone to be fined, because that would mean they were driving
dangerously. We hope people slow down and be careful," Mr Haermeyer said.
"We are confident the collision rates at these intersections will drop
dramatically due to these cameras. There has been a growth in the number of
cars on the roads and the kilometres travelled, but we had a major reduction
in the road toll last year and we are on target for another major reduction,
and possibly the lowest ever toll, this year."
The previous lowest number of deaths on the state's roads was in 1997, when
it was 377.
"In two years we will have reduced the road toll by up to 100, that is not
chance and it is not the weather," Mr Haermeyer said yesterday.
"And it is not just about lives which would have been lost, but also about
lives ruined.
"There are hundreds more people walking around who would have been seriously
injured or maimed.
"Analysis shows the toll drops dramatically when publicity about enforcement
kicks in.
"Police are telling us the overall speed (at which) people are driving is
slower and slower.
"These measures are working, but any death is too many, so we will continue
to try to push the toll down.
"If we had a murder rate similar to the road toll, everyone would be
demanding drastic action."
The red light-speed cameras are in addition to several red light cameras
already in place.
Other new fixed-camera initiatives are also due to be launched on Hume
Highway, Geelong Rd and West Gate Freeway in the coming months.
Up to 30 cameras that measure motorists' speeds between two points, as well
as on the spot, are to start operating soon on the Hume.
There will be five banks of cameras across two-to-three northbound lanes and
another five banks on the southbound carriageway. The cameras are due to be
approved in the spring session of Parliament.
On Geelong Rd (Princes Freeway), about 24 standard speed cameras are set to
become operational within months.
The cameras will operate in eight banks - four eastbound and four westbound.
Fixed speed cameras are also set to be installed on West Gate Freeway.
Dozens of fixed speed cameras operate on Western Ring Rd, Monash Freeway
before the Domain Tunnel entrance and in CityLink tunnels.

Sunday Herald Sun

 

Yup! Same in NSW.

Actually, they _all_ seem to be politicians. :-|

Seems fair to me......I wouldn't piss in Carr if he was on fire.

Ah, well, yes..... in theory, I totally agree with you, but, when you
get down to the practical level of how is this to be done.....<shrug>

NSW _is_ actually trying to raise the level of driving, but any steps in
this direction will take generations to actually make a noticeable
difference.

As for the enforcement of "other" laws....that tends to be _very_ costly.

"Forcing"?

There is always the alternate of slowing down and backing off.....

They do this all over the world you know.... :-|


I agree it is a problem, but, I'd like to hear how you propose it could
be solved.

The only way I can imagine it could be effectively tackled would be a
very large fleet of unmarked police cars, with video cameras running all
the time, and a law, similar the the speed camera business, where by the
ticket is sent to the registered owner, and they have to prove someone
else was driving, or pay the ticket and get the points.

Trouble is, police persons are an expensive resource, and can be better
utilised doing more important stuff. Privatising it, wouldn;t be a good
answer, since we know that the cops can be corrupted, how much more
dodgey might Joe Bloggs-Traffic Controller Inc. be?

Indeed. OTOH, if you don't break the speed limit, you don't have to pay.

Isn't pissing our money against a wall the main function of government?

regards,
CrazyCam

 

[...]

How about
1) compulsory introduction of multi day advanced / defensive [track based?]
driving training for getting your license.
2) periodic refresher courses e.g. must attend government sponsored advanced
training periodically e.g. every 5 years and retest rules knowledge to keep
license. Heck, make them free - let the speed tickets pay for them.


My pipe dream.

**** all chance someone's gonna have the guts to introduce something like
that. I mean, this would actually make a _difference_ to the on road safety.
Can't have that, can we?

j

 

**Some are. Here in NSW, some are placed in areas where lots of accidents
have occured.

**Do you mean: "The impatient arseholes, who tailgate other lawbreakers."?
I agree that these people should be given infringement notices. Such a
scheme would require many more police and a consequent rise in taxation.
Would you be happy with that?

What about idiots turning, changing lanes

mean.

**Sure, it happens everywhere. They should be given infrigement notices.
Will you pay for the extra police?

**Safety cameras are a good thing. They keep traffic flows to the legal
limits. The only people who get booked are arseholes who break the law.
Sounds good to me. Don't speed, don't get booked. Can you see that
correlation? The more money the government makes from speeding dickheads,
the less money I need to pay in tax. Sounds fair to me.

 

Trouble with this is that you can't do it all in one hit.... :-|

A complete learner doesn't (normally) have the knowledge base to even
understand the application of, shall we, say advanced car-control.
(BTW, I used to teach just that kind of course.)

Another problem is that there are _very_ significant numbers of
unlicensed drivers and riders in Oz already. Without the slow cultural
changes, making a license harder to get will only make the unlicensed
folk a greater problem.

Great idea....apart from the unlicensed business....but would cost a lot
of money.

Ah, you just don't understand a polly, do you? They have got an income
stream from speeding tickets. They have already spent that on whatever.

What you smoking in that there pipe? ;-)

Somebody said that politics is the art of the possible.

"Possible" being viewed in the light of a polly's primary concern, being
re-elected.

If there was an easy, quick, cheap and effective answer, they would have
tried it by now, dog knows, they have tried lots of quick, cheap answers
so far.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

with instructions that blood pressure meds are suppositories.


--
John McKenzie



[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]$HOST [email protected]

 

Only the Labor Party is using speed cameras.

Boxer

 

Aye, and the libs might well promise to remove them.....
but would that be a _core_ promise? ;-)

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Keep shaking it D.
Shake if when you go past one of the 15,000 cameras one day bang on the
limit - in fact a bees dick under, and you get the notice in the post.
shake it again all the way to the PO with you cheques, where you get
shunted by some moron as you slow for an amber to make sure you don't
become a victim of the camera there, and when you eventually find a park
(takes an hour because there are U turn detecting CCVCs placed on every
corner, so you have to go to the next suburb that doesn't have a PO)and are
crossing the street to post your cheque in the express envelope you'll be
knocked over by another moron who gets out and as says 'sorry, mate,
didn't see ya'.
Shake you hear as in your dying gasp, you ask moron 2 to do you a favour
and post the cheque for you, and reflect how both the morons you just meant
have probably never exceeded a stupid arbitrary speed limit in their lives.

 

Ah Ic . dazza is one of those poly types. bet he walks everywhere.

 

:_)

 

You can tell the ones who routinely speed, and who regard speed limits as

I've NEVER been pinged for speeding, but this stuff makes me REALLY mad.
Speed is not a major cause of accidents, it's just the easiest for them to
target.


Back to the original article:
"If we had a murder rate similar to the road toll, everyone would be
demanding drastic action."

Well Mr Haermeyer, why don't you weave some magic on the suicide statistics?
Pete

 

and the result of the targeting is money.
that's M.O.N.E.Y
so how about we reduce the polies to real money , place the burden of
proof on them and start burning tyres on gatzos.

 

Easier, cost effective, and they work.

The road toll is down.

When there is crime, people demand more police to
discourage it.

Camera's have the same deterrent effect at a fraction of the cost.
They are on duty 24 hours a day, don't take sickies, or bribes,
and don't lie.


Don't want to be fined? Simple.. Don't break the laws!

 

a) What more proof than a radar guided, indelible photograph do you want?
b) You fight it in court. If your claim is true, you win.
c) It doesn't. But then again, it doesn't stop your average speeder either.
I didn't claim it would. I said if you don't want to be fined, don't speed.
Which part of English did you skip at school?
d) Your vehicle is defective, and you deserve everything you get.

Oh, and

e) I don't drive a Camry. They're made for short arses. I wouldn't fit in
one. I also don't wear grey. Unless you count my socks. As for cardigans
- I haven't seen one of them since my grandfather died.

DaZZa - who just _loves_ reasoned debate.

--
People can be divided into three classes.
The few who make things happen
The many who watch things happen
And the overwhelming majority who have no ides what has happened

Picked up from a web site, author unknown

Address in header is spamblocked. ROT13 the following for email replies

 

Wot a load of crock
In Victoria the libs PRIVATISED the cameras and also encouraged new technology.
you honestly believe it would be any differen with the libs?
gimme a break .

 

ah so your a dole bludger.. might have know.

 

Fucking idiot...

Regards,
Noddy.

 

well what do you expect from one of those poly groupies

 

Yup. I'm a dole bludger who earns in excess of $80k a year.

try again, dickhead.

DaZZa



--
People can be divided into three classes.
The few who make things happen
The many who watch things happen
And the overwhelming majority who have no ides what has happened

Picked up from a web site, author unknown

Address in header is spamblocked. ROT13 the following for email replies