Red light, speed cameras

The Victorian Government has introduced safety cameras that will pick up motorists who speed or run red lights or both. The 'red light, speed cameras' will be progressively rolled out from the end of September 2003 and be located across Victoria. The intersections chosen have been selected due to the high incidence of crashes causing serious injury and death.

Below are some Questions and Answers about the new cameras.

Questions & Answers

• How many cameras will there be?
• What are the penalties for different offences?
• How common are intersection casualty crashes?
• How were the intersections selected?
• How will they work?
• What sort of ticket will I receive?
• Are emergency vehicles exempt?
• What are the locations for the cameras?
• How far over the speed limit is considered speeding to warrant an infringement?
  Scenarios
• How does this apply to hook turns in the CBD?
• Can a local council lobby the Government or Victoria Police to have a red light speed camera installed in a particular location?
• If Car A runs into the back of Car B and pushes it into the intersection on a red light, will the driver of Car B receive an infringement notice?
• How much does the State Government expect to collect from these new cameras?

Q. How many cameras will there be?

A. There will be a total of 65 cameras across the state. Fifty-four will be permanently installed at 54 intersections and 11 will be rotated through a further 31 intersections.

Q. What are the penalties for different offences?

A. The penalities for infringements recorded by red light or speed cameras, as at January 2008, are:

Q. How common are intersection casualty crashes?

A. Casualty crashes result in injuries or fatalities. Over the past five years, there have been 6805 cross traffic accidents at intersections across Victoria.
At the 85 intersections to have the new cameras, 1055 crashes occurred which resulted in injuries or death, between 1997 and 2001.
Over a five-year period (1998-2002) 15.5 per cent of all accidents at all intersections throughout Victoria, happened at these 85 nominated sites.

Q. How were the intersections selected?

A. The intersections were selected based on the number of cross traffic casualty crashes (resulting in a fatality or injury) that occurred there.
The sites were selected by Victoria Police in conjunction with VicRoads.

Q. How will they work?

A. The simple principle is that if drivers cross the white line to enter the intersection after the light has turned red, they will be fined.

Q. What sort of ticket will I receive?

A. Drivers will receive infringement notices from the Traffic Camera Office outlining the offence. In the case of being detected running a red light and breaking the speed limit at the same time, drivers will receive two infringement notices – one for each infringement.

Q. Are emergency vehicles exempt?

A. Yes. If emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, police vehicles and fire trucks, are caught speeding through a red light, the relevant emergency service will receive a corporate notice, requesting that they nominate the driver and justify why they sped through a red light. This is called a vehicle exemption file. If they can prove why they are exempt vehicles under the road rules, the infringement is not generated.

Q. What are the locations for the cameras?

A. Signs will be installed on the approaches to intersections with the new cameras to warn motorists.

Q. How far over the speed limit is considered speeding to warrant an infringement?

A. The Victorian Government and Victoria Police consider any amount over the designated speed limit as speeding.

Scenarios

Q. If a driver is in one of several vehicles waiting to turn right at an intersection, and is in the middle of the intersection and the light changes to red, will that driver be fined if they turn on the red light?

A. No. Drivers will only be fined if their car enters the intersection (passes the stop line) once the light has turned red. If a driver has already entered the intersection on a green light, that driver can complete the turn without receiving a fine. If a driver enters the intersection on an amber light, that driver is also permitted to complete that turn.

Q. If a driver enters an intersection once a light has turned amber and the light turns red before the driver passes through the intersection, is that considered running a red light?

A. No.

Q. If a driver speeds through an intersection on a green light, will that driver receive a speeding fine?

A. Yes.

Q. How does this apply to hook turns in the CBD?

A. A vehicle will only be photographed if it crosses the stop line after the light changes to red.
It is not an offence for a vehicle, that has entered the intersection on a green signal, to complete the turn after the signal changes to red.

Q. Can a local council lobby the Government or Victoria Police to have a red light speed camera installed in a particular location?

A. They can, but these intersections were chosen on crash data.

Q. If car A runs into the back of car B and pushes it into the intersection on a red light, will the driver of car B receive an infringement notice?

A. The red light cameras work by taking two photos. 0.6 seconds apart to check if the car has now moved through the intersection. In this scenario, the cars wouldn’t have moved through, and as the infringement is issued on the second photo, it is unlikely a fine would be issued (because an accident had occurred). But if someone did receive a fine in this scenario they could query it, and it is unlikely it would be pursued.

Q. How much does the State Government expect to collect from these new cameras?

A. In the State Budget, the Government outlined that expected revenue from police fines would be $427.5 million in the 2003/04 financial year.