Perth News

TOO FAST: The fixed speed camera on Mitchell Freeway has snared nearly 80,000 motorists since December. Source: PerthNow

ALMOST 80,000 speeding motorists have been clocked by a single fixed speed camera on Perth’s Mitchell Freeway since it was first trialled in December.

After the 12-day trial – during which 20,000 speeding motorists were snapped – Perth’s first freeway fixed speed camera has caught 78,723 vehicles travelling over the 100km/h speed limit, according to police figures released today.

While most were only marginally over the limit, with 75,200 caught doing less than 110km/h, at least one motorist in the past week was clocked at 213kmh and another at 159km/h seconds later.

“That obviously gives us an indication that cars are racing on the freeway, which gives us great concern,” Assistant Police Commissioner Gary Budge said.

So far, 36 motorists have been caught travelling at more than 45km/h above the limit, meaning they could have their vehicles seized under so-called “anti-hoon law” legislation

Source: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/mitchell-freeway-camera-clocks-80000-speeders/story-e6frg13u-1226267854885

*End of Article.

What can you do to avoid being an innocent driver caught for speeding? Purchase a laser protection system today.

_____________________________________________________________

Video blitz on drivers

Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/12744124/video-blitz-on-drivers/

Updated January 28, 2012, 2:50 am

The number of cars scanned for speeding in WA would increase from 14 million to almost 300 million a year under a police plan to have roof-mounted speed cameras on 48 traffic patrol vehicles.

Supt Lance Martin said police were developing the technology which they wanted to fit to the new vehicles, with a view to eventually installing the devices on dozens more cars.

He said the roof-mounted radars would work like roadside devices and would turn the cars into roaming speed cameras.

Police aimed to develop the technology to a point where it could measure the speed of each vehicle it passed, enabling each police car to monitor about 1200 vehicles an hour or 6 million a year.

The State’s speed cameras monitored a total of 13.8 million cars last financial year, reaping more than $60 million in fines.

The radars would be linked to roof-mounted video cameras which would film the speeding driver and send the evidence to the police infringement management section, which would then post out fines.

Police currently have 190 in-car speed radars in traffic vehicles across the State.

But they do not take photographic or video evidence of speeding offences, meaning that police have to pursue the speeding vehicle, stop it and write out an infringement.

The car-mounted radars would add to WA Police’s big fleet of speed enforcement devices, which includes 16 roadside cameras, 14 hand-held radars, 28 integrated red light and speed cameras and seven cameras used covertly from the back of unmarked vehicles parked by the roadside. Supt Martin said the planned radar systems would be a significant deterrent against speeding.

“When people see our brightly coloured traffic cars around the city or the country they will be reminded of the radars they have and that will reinforce to them the risk they take when they speed,” he said.

“It’s important that drivers who are inclined to speed feel that they could be caught for speeding at any time.”

He said police had asked the State Government for funding to buy the 48 new traffic cars, which were laden with other technology including automatic numberplate recognition systems which scanned an average of 1200 plates an hour.

Each car would cost $70,000 to kit out with the technology and custom fittings.

Police Minister Rob Johnson said the funding request would be considered “as part of the normal budgetary and Cabinet process”.

“In the past three Budgets, I have managed to secure record funding for WA Police, which has enabled them to equip our officers with the latest technology,” he said.

Purchase the latest Valentine One Radar Detector today and protect yourself against any Radar threats in Western Australia

_____________________________________________________________

Speed camera target of drive-by shooting

SHOT: Perth’s unpopular freeway speed camera has been targeted by an unknown gunman. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

POLICE have discovered bullet holes in the new fixed speed camera on the Mitchell Freeway after what was believed to be a drive-by shooting by a frustrated motorist.

Sergeant Gerry Cassidy said police found several bullet holes in the casing of the speed camera when they went out to the site to carry out maintenance yesterday about 2pm.

Two glass panels in the casing were damaged, but the camera was not.

Sgt Cassidy said police believe the shooting may have occurred between 11pm on Monday and Thursday afternoon.

Any witnesses are asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The fixed speed camera is the first of its kind in Perth and was installed near the Karrinyup exit of the freeway in December.

In the first five days of its operation, the camera snapped 20,000 drivers travelling over the speed limit, including one motorist allegedly clocked travelling at 199km/h.

Reference:http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/speed-camera-target-of-drive-by-shooting/story-e6frg13u-1226243650943?sv=cf8e1ec240f8a890fca506a17c2b8959

_____________________________________________________________

Freeway speed camera nabs 20,000 ‘absolute idiots’

‘IDIOTS’: Perth’s first fixed freeway speed camera has nabbed 20,000 speeding drivers in just five days. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

WA’S first fixed freeway speed camera has snapped 20,000 “absolute idiots” in the five days since it was installed – including one driver clocked travelling at 199km/h.

Launching the 2011 Christmas road safety campaign, police today revealed 20,000 motorists had been caught exceeding the speed limit on Mitchell Freeway despite widespread publicity about the installation of the fixed camera.

Twelve drivers were travelling at more than 45km/h over the speed limit and two were flashed while drag racing each other at 9am on Sunday.

Police will allege a 28-year-old Mt Nasura man was driving a Holden Commodore at 199km/h in the 100km/h zone, while the 23-year-old Tapping man was allegedly nabbed travelling at 176km/h in his Mitsibishi Magna.

Both men had their cars seized under anti- hoon legislation and charged with reckless driving.

Continued………

_____________________________________________________________

Motorists beware: WA’s first fixed freeway speed camera now in use

GOTCHA: A car is clocked at 120km/h on Mitchell Freeway, a victim of the first fixed speed camera. Source: PerthNow Phil Hickey From: PerthNow December 15, 2011 11:05AM

MOTORISTS beware. WA’s first fixed freeway speed camera is now in operation on the Mitchell Freeway and there are more on the way.

The camera is in place on northbound lanes near the Karrinyup Road exit complete with warning signs on the freeway and on ramps prior to the camera site.

The Sunday Times first revealed plans for the fixed speed camera back in November.

Police and Road Safety Minster Rob Johnson said today the site had been chosen because there have been four fatal and two critical injury speed-related crashes in the area between 2006 and 2010.

“It is recognised nationally and worldwide that the use of fixed cameras, combined with mobile and red light speed cameras, is one of the most effective ways of reducing the level of speed-related crashes,” Mr Johnson said.

As part of a 12-year, $30 million road safety strategy by the State Government another six fixed speed cameras will be rolled out in the future.

Mr Johnson said motorists who flouted to the new fixed cameras would be financially contributing to the Road Trauma Trust Account (RTTA), which currently receives two-thirds of all revenue raised from speed and red light camera infringements.

From July next year the RTTA will receive 100 per cent of all camera revenue.

So far this year 171 people have died on WA roads while a further 224 have received critical injuries.

_____________________________________________________________

“Freeway to get First Fixed Speed Camera”

November 19, 2011 5:00PM

POLICE will install WA’s first fixed freeway speed camera on Mitchell Freeway as they prepare for a Christmas-New Year road blitz.

Senior officers this week would not disclose where on the 30km northern freeway it would be placed, or whether it would be on northbound or southbound lanes.

But Acting Police Minister John Day said more fixed camera locations would be rolled out if the trial was a success.

WA Police have bought several German-made metal cabinets to house permanent speed cameras. For now, just one of them will be fitted out, as part of a trial starting next month.

Mr Day said no new cameras had been bought; instead, one of the 23 existing demountable cameras would be installed in the cabinet during the trial.

“Speed cameras operate on freeway roadsides already, either in vehicles or on tripods, and this is simply another method of deployment intended to improve road safety,” Mr Day said.

SPEED BLITZ: WA Police will trial the state’s first fixed speed camera on the Mitchell Freeway in the lead up to Christmas. Source: PerthNow

He said signs warning of the camera’s position would also be installed, even though it was not required by legislation.

Monash University road safety researcher Max Cameron has suggested previously that point-to-point speed cameras to target speeding drivers over long stretches should be installed on more than 3000km of WA’s roads, including sections of the Kwinana and Mitchell freeways.

Acting Assistant Commissioner for specialist enforcement and operations Michelle Fyfe said the effectiveness of the fixed freeway speed camera would be assessed before a decision was made to install more of them.

“This trial is a direct result of research conducted specifically on Perth roads,” Mrs Fyfe said.

She would not say how many cabinets had been bought.

Opposition police spokeswoman Margaret Quirk cautiously welcomed the fixed freeway cameras, but questioned whether the camera locations were based at problem areas and if they would improve road safety.

“It’s clear there’s a speeding problem on freeways, but whether that translates to fatalities and serious injuries will be borne out in the results of the trial,” she said.

RAC head of member advocacy Matt Brown said a survey of members showed 59 per cent of motorists favoured fixed speed cameras on freeways, but acknowledged the devices needed to be part of a broader speed enforcement program across the entire state.

He said WA lagged behind other states in the introduction of fixed speed cameras, with fixed cameras already in place on freeways in most major cities across the eastern states.

WA Police Union president Russell Armstrong said the fixed freeway camera trial would complement additional motorcycle patrols on Perth’s freeways to slow leadfoot drivers and save lives.

coxn@sundaytimes.newsltd.com.au

SOURCE:http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/trial-of-first-fixed-freeway-speed-camera/story-e6frg14l-1226199992937

_____________________________________________________________

“New speed camera snaps 8000 drivers”

Ref: RONAN O’CONNELL, The West Australian October 15, 2010, 2:25 am

A single speed camera clocked more than 8000 motorists speeding in about 7 1/2 hours on the Kwinana Freeway this week, with close to 3000 fines expected to be issued because of the operation.

The new digital dual-lens camera was next to the Mill Point Road exit of the freeway monitoring southbound traffic for several hours on Monday and Tuesday.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Michelle Fyfe said yesterday that on Monday, between 8.50am and 11.30am, the camera had monitored 5588 vehicles and found that 3522 had exceeded the 80km/h speed limit.

On Tuesday, the camera measured the speed of 8759 vehicles between 8.50am and 1.35pm and found that 4791 were speeding.

Mrs Fyfe said police expected to issue close to 3000 speeding fines from just over the seven hours that the camera was in operation at that location.

She said that while most vehicles caught speeding were travelling between 81km/h and 90km/h, one driver was doing 123km/h.

Mrs Fyfe said police had been shocked by the big proportion of motorists who were speeding.

……Read the full story here

“Think of all the lives they saved by issuing 3000 fines!”
_____________________________________________________________

NEW Mobile Speed Cameras

Since Early 2010, WA Police in Perth have been rolling out the Vitronic Poliscan Speed Camera (used in WA & VIC) to replace the aging wet-film Multanova.

Below – Testing of the new Vitronic Poliscan Speed Camera on Riverside Dr in Perth. Operators are setting these cameras up using only a single unit for front only or rear only capture. We predict this is what the new speed cameras will all eventually be set-up as when they learn how to use them all properly.

By the end of 2010, all Multanova cameras will be replaced by laser cameras. Out with the old, in with the new! The government needs more money, certain steps need to be taken.

The Multanova, is one of the most advanced radar speed cameras, not advanced enough for WA. With certain disadvantages including the camera not being digital, which meant operators were having to spend time returning to police stations between runs, costing time, and potential revenue from the camera itself. The Multanova 6F also needs to calibrated several times per day to ensure it is working accurately, using a traditional K band radar gun to test the cameras, more time. On top of this the cameras were only able to record cars speed at 15m(low power)-40m(high power) away, sometimes giving drivers the chance to see the camera. 40m was only achieved in its highest power mode, which meant most radar detectors then could receive adequate warning. Although many radar detectors struggled to provide adequate warning, as the Multanova runs on a average of 0.5MW, with three different power modes, many radar detectors which are designed for more traditional radar units running on powers of up to 50mW(milliwatts) did not alert until you were directly on top of the radar beam. For example, the Bel XR70 (rip off RX65) when mounted horizontal, was a very poor performer against the Multanova, despite claims by Neltronics Perth it was designed for Australia.

Another change is the issue of the two cars in the photo when the Multanova would take a flash. As the technology was radar and the camera did not posses single lane identification. Police were not allowed to prosecute speeding fines to both motorists or either one. The new Poliscan has single lane identification, the operator knows which car is speeding, and no speeding fines will be going to waste.

_____________________________________________________________

RED LIGHT/ SPEED CAMERAS

As you would already be aware Perth has begun using a number of Red light cameras, with an integrated speed detection device which is active in all phases of light changes green,yellow,red.

The name of these new cameras is the REDFLEX RedSpeed

REDFLEXred-speed brochure

Dual speed and red light cameras will operate from July 12 at the following intersections:

Canning Highway and Riseley Street, Applecross
Stirling Highway and Eric Street, Cottesloe
Canning Highway and Douglas Avenue, South Perth
Great Eastern Highway and Shepperton Road, Victoria Park
Albany Highway and Leach Highway off ramp, Bentley
Winterfold and Stock roads, Hilton
Wanneroo and Beach roads, Balga
Leach Highway and Bungaree Road, Wilson
Beach Road and Mirrabooka Avenue, Balga
Roe Highway and Kalamunda Road, High Wycombe
Hepburn and Marmion avenues, Padbury
Morley and Alexander drives, Dianella
NEW: Booragoon on Riseley Street at Marmion Street intersection

Please note: These are only the new Redflex speed & red light cameras, there are many TraffiPax redlight cameras in various locations around Perth. Which only target the lane and direction of traffic they are positioned to take photos of from the rear. The police like to put a sign though on each entrance to the intersection to warn motorists of a red light camera, even though it is not targeting them.

Radars Direct recommends drivers do not run red lights on any circumstances, as the act is very dangerous.

_____________________________________________________________

LASER GUNS

Latest LIDAR Gun Introduced

As an addition to the new Vitronic Poliscan and the new red light cameras, WA is also now using 14 NEW Lti TruCam Laser guns with an intergrated video recording system. The products are manufactured by LaserTech and then authorised by an engineering company in the Eastern States.

TruCam_Specs Radars Direct

Also note the TruSpeed is also used in Perth.

___________________________________________________________

Super cameras on WA police radar

RONAN O’CONNELL, The West Australian October 9, 2010, 2:25 am

Super cameras that can catch drivers committing up to 10 traffic offences, including tailgating and dangerous driving, could soon be on WA roads.

The Multanovas are in use in Switzerland and it is understood they are being considered by WA Police, which was given $30 million in its last budget to buy new speed enforcement technology.

Swiss manufacturer Multanova says the Trafistar SR590, which uses 3-D tracking technology to map the exact position and movement of each vehicle in its line of sight, can monitor the speed of 22 cars in four lanes.

The $84,000 device can also catch drivers for offences including running red lights, tailgating, driving in a bus or bicycle lane, making an illegal entry, failing to give way to pedestrians or traffic to the right, overtaking in a dangerous manner, failing to halt at a stop sign, making an illegal turn and crossing a dividing line.

Police Union president Russell Armstrong said the cameras were “amazing” and urged WA Police to begin a trial of the technology immediately.

“Being able to catch people for such a range of traffic offences would clearly be good for road safety, so we think this is the kind of technology that we should be looking at,” he said.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Michelle Fyfe said police were monitoring the success of the devices in Europe.

Acting Police Minister Christian Porter said the Government would consider the technology once police evaluated it.

RAC spokesman Matt Brown said surveys of members showed offences such as reckless driving and tailgating were common concerns among WA motorists, who felt intimidated by such behaviour.

Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre director Brett Hughes said while he was not familiar with the new Multanova, offences it detected put the safety of road users at risk.

Shadow police minister Margaret Quirk said the devices had the potential to curb reckless driving but she was concerned police had recently invested in “old technology” by buying other speed cameras instead of the Multanovas.

Police have used part of the $30 million to buy 13 integrated red-light and speed-camera systems for use at intersections and 14 dual-lens speed cameras that photograph front and rear numberplates.