Speed cameras at Sunnyholt Rd Blacktown and Abbott Rd Seven Hills rake up the most fines

SPEED and red light cameras across the Blacktown district are injecting almost $2 million a year into NSW government coffers with one camera alone taking more than $1 million last financial year.

Sunnyholt Rd at Blacktown is a big money spinner.

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SPEED and red light cameras across the Blacktown district are injecting almost $2 million a year into NSW government coffers with one camera alone taking more than $1 million last financial year.

The red light and speed camera on Blacktown’s Sunnyholt Rd, is the real money-maker, pulling in $1,030,205 in the 2014-15 financial year and slightly less — $826,937 — in the 2015-16 period.

This July alone, 188 fines were sent out to motorists jumping the lights and going through on red, along with 20 speeding offences on the busy road.

Abbott Rd, Seven Hills, is another big earner with a single camera going up in 2014 and taking $821,700 through 1888 fines.

This year motorists seem to have partly got the lesson with a total of $566,896 issued. Most of the fines at Abbott Rd were once again for jumping red lights.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said the figures showed the government needed to do more work on the roads where cameras were sited to ensure drivers did drive safely and stick to speed limits.

“If people are consistently getting booked, rather than just collecting fines the government need to look at making the roads safer,” he said.

Mr Khoury pointed out that all money raised through speeding fines went into a safety fund to inject money into road safety programs.

But he said the NRMA’s consistent position was there should be more police cars on the roads.

“A speed camera can catch a driver speeding. A police car can catch a driver speeding, and check for up-to-date insurance and do breath tests and check for drug use, and on and on. The experience of being stopped, and you could be with your family in the car, is going to stay with you a lot longer and make you think more than a fine that arrives in the post three weeks after you’ve passed a speed camera.

“We would encourage the government to really effectively use the money to educate road users. It could be better signage, it could be more police cars, it could be driving courses for young drivers. All of these and more could be used more widely and funded by these fines.”

THE TOP MONEY SPINNER

● Sunnyholt Rd, Blacktown, southbound

2014-2015 fines: $1,030,205. Number of fines: 2459

2015-2016 fines: $826,937. Number of fines:— 1918

● Abbott Rd, Seven Hills 2014-2015 fines: $959,006. Number of fines: 2804

2015-2016: — $566,896. Number of fines: 1672

● Bungarribee Rd. Blacktown, eastbound (pictured)

2014-2015 fines: $228,178. Number of fines: 566

2015-2016 fines : $291,215. Number of fines: 703

● Blacktown Rd, Blacktown east

2014-2015 fines: $148,976. Number of fines: 843

2015-2016 fines: $109,201. Number of fines: 600

● Doonside Rd, Doonside northbound

2014-2015 fines: $16,700. Number of fines: 81

2015-2016: fines — $4728. Number of fines: 29

● Knox Rd, Doonside

2014-2015 fines: $66,079. Number of fines: 378

2015-2016 fines: $40,427. Number of fines: 221