ACT Point-to-Point passed to boost road safety

http://www.projectlink.com.au/IndustryNews/point-to-point-passed-to-boost-road-safety.html

ACT Government
September 26,2011 - The ACT's first point-to-point cameras have been given the green light after legislation for the operation was passed in the Legislative Assembly tonight, announced the Attorney General, Simon Corbell.
The ACT's first point-to-point cameras have been given the green light after legislation for the operation was passed in the Legislative Assembly tonight, announced the Attorney General, Simon Corbell.

"The introduction of point-to-point cameras implements a recommendation of the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020, and will complement existing approaches to speed limit enforcement in the ACT," Mr Corbell said.

"Speeding in the ACT is still a serious problem with 1,826 traffic infringements and cautions issued in June and July, with a large number of these infringements ‘high speed' traffic offences."

Twenty-six people were caught driving at very high-speeds with the highest recorded speed of 171km/h in an 80km/h zone committed by a 28-year-old male.

Mr Corbell said experience from other jurisdictions confirmed point-to-point systems were effective at reducing speeds and serious or fatal crashes where they were installed.

The first point to point system is being built on Hindmarsh Drive and is expected to become operational later this year. A second system is expected to be commissioned in 2012.

The system uses cameras equipped with with Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, and scans photographs to identify vehicle numberplates. The system takes time-stamped photographs of vehicles as they pass two places (detection points) set at a known distance apart. If the average speed exceeds the average speed limit between those points, an infringement notice for a speeding offence may be issued.

ANPR technology is already used in the ACT, as part of ACT Policing's RAPID (Recognition and Analysis of Plates IDentified) system to detect offences involving unregistered or uninsured vehicles and unlicensed drivers.

"The system photographs only the back of vehicles and the images do not identify drivers or riders," Mr Corbell said.

"There are strong safeguards to protect personal information, and the legislation explicitly restricts access to and use of these images. Images that do not show offences will be destroyed after 14 days. Contrary to speculation in the media, these speed cameras will not be used to spy on the ACT community or to track the movements of individuals around the ACT.