Speeding fines increase dramatically after the removal of warning signs

Fines issued for speeding have increased by more than 25,000 after the decision to remove signs warning drivers that they are approacing a speed camera.

The number of people slapped with fines for low range speeding offences has exploded by up to 1595 per cent since the NSW government introduced secret mobile speed cameras and removed warning signs.

The longer term average for people fined travelling less than 10km over the speed limit used to be under 2000 fines a month.

But by March this year, that had exploded to 27,760 people fined for the lowrange offence in a single month.

The low range offences in March 2020 were just 1637 and 1616 in March 2019.

The increase is observable since the government removed warning signs for speed cameras – an issue that has caused a division in the NSW government.

The April fines figure has dropped back to 17,171 fines for people exceeding the limit by under 10km/h — still well above April 2020’s 1253 fines and April 2019’s 1479 fines.

The statistics also reveal NSW speed camera revenue has climbed from $478,580 in March 2020 to a peak of $6.3m in March 2021, across all fine brackets.

NSW Labor, under new leader Chris Minns, will seize on the issue, calling for an end to the secret cameras and a return to high visibility policing on roads.

“The NSW government has worked out a way to slug families with hundreds of dollars for low range speeding offences by hiding the cameras,” Mr Minns said.

“This policy has made families and tradies poorer, but it hasn’t made our roads safer.”

Mr Minns is arguing for a return to mobile camera warning signs and an increase of police highway patrols which he says will have an effect on safety not just the hip pocket. “We need to do everything we can to save lives on our roads. Warning signs change behaviour and get drivers to ease off the pedal and slow down,” he said.

Opposition roads spokesman John Graham said these fines would climb even higher after the NSW government confirmed an intention to triple the number of secret cameras. The fine for an under 10km speeding offence is $123.

Transport for NSW deputy secretary for safety Tara McCarthy said: “There is no such thing as safe speeding – every kilometre over the speed limit makes a difference.

“There’s a lot of focus on how many people are being fined when the real issue here is how many people are driving above the limit and putting their own life and the lives of others at risk.”

Speeding fines have increased since warning signs which make drivers aware that they are approaching a camera were removed. Picture: Supplied

The issue has caused an internal rift in the NSW government, with Nationals upper house member Wes Fang raising concerns. “I fear that we are having a detrimental effect on rural and regional families because people are losing their licences and then their livelihoods all to raise more money to prop up the state’s balance sheet,” Mr Fang told The Daily Telegraph in April.

The government believes the changes are having an impact on fatalities. It has seized on figures showing that, when compared against the last three year average, NSW was down by 15 deaths in this past five months of the year.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said: “Mobile speed cameras should have warning signs. We believe the warning signs act as an important educational tool and help slow drivers down.”

Originally published as Speeding fines increase dramatically after the removal of warning signs