Speed camera tolerances reduced to zero

Speed camera tolerances reduced to zero
Speed camera tolerances reduced to zero
By Brett Davis | March 25th, 2011

According to a recent Fairfax report, the State Debt Recovery Office and the RTA are looking to reduce speed camera tolerances from the current 3km/h margin of error to a zero tolerance. This could mean drivers could be fined for travelling just 1km/h over the limit. If the public needs further proof that speeding fines are enforced simply for revenue raising then this should be seen as the final straw.

A government report from December last year, apparently leaked from the budget committee, says it will remove the specific tolerance – a figure not disclosed – saying it will eliminate the “internal and undisclosed tolerance as applied by the State Debt Recovery Office to digitally captured infringements as notified by the RTA”.

We’re sure loads of motorists will be distressed by the move. A senior police officer even expressed concerns in the Fairfax report, saying that motorists who simply changed their tyres to a larger tread depth – putting off the original speedo calibration – might start getting fined for speeding just a few kilometres over the limit even though the speedo appears to be displaying a legal speed.

This not only puts pressure on motorists to keep their cars as original as possible, but manufacturers will have to start developing extremely accurate speedo readouts. Manufacturers may also have to start supplying specific instructions to owners stating that the car must remain in its standard trim throughout its entire life, even going as far as supplying a very specific tyre brand and size.

What happened to the Australian Design Rules (ADR) specifications that allowed a 10 percent margin for error on speedo readouts from the factory? Well, apparently the RTA and the State Debt Recovery Office aren’t interested in manufacturer tolerances either. Luckily, the ADR standards have since changed so that all vehicles from the factory must readout a speed on or above the actual speed of the car.

So far no date has been announced when this tolerance change will take place – if any announcement will even be made.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/111979/speed-camera-tolerances-reduced-to-zero/