New speed camera for north shore blackspot after string of fatal crashes
A new speed camera has been switched on at a notorious north shore blackspot after a string of horror crashes and fatalities including retired doctor Vincent Wong.
North Shore
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A new speed camera has been switched on at a notorious north shore blackspot in an effort by authorities to reduce the road toll.
A string of car crashes including two fatalities has prompted the installation of the red light camera at the corner of Centennial Ave and Fig Tree St in Lane Cove.
The intersection is the main north-south road corridor in the area, linking the Gladesville Bridge to Epping Rd, and carries more than 40,000 vehicles per day.
The Centre for Road Safety said 11 crashes had occurred at the intersection from 2013 to 2017, resulting in two fatalities and six injuries.
In 2016, retired doctor Vincent Wong, 76, died after his sedan was hit side-on by a motorbike travelling at high speed at the intersection.
The 26-year-old motorcyclist also died from his injuries.
The installation of the camera on Friday comes after campaigns for safety improvements were taken up by nearby residents.
Local homeowner Frans Bisschop said he had raised concerns about the intersection since 2012, which he said had “gotten worse because the traffic has increased”.
“I’ve seen so many accidents on that intersection and been involved in many near misses myself,” he said.
Centre for Road Safety executive director Bernard Carlon said the camera was designed to improve safety for all road users.
“The new camera will help to improve road safety at this busy intersection where there are many surrounding homes and community facilities,” he said.
“We know that running red lights can lead to serious t-bone crashes or vehicles crashing into pedestrians.”
The camera will initially operate in warning mode with drivers caught speeding or running red lights sent warning letters.
Fines and demerit points will then be sent to offending drivers from the end of October.
The installation comes as latest figures show there were more than 208,000 speeding and red light camera fines issued to drivers across NSW in 2018-19.
Hot spots on the north shore included the Lane Cove Tunnel (1732) and the Pacific Hwy at Wahroonga (1712).
Mr Carlon said a review into the state’s speed cameras found fatal and serious injury crashes fell by more than a third at red-light speed camera locations, and pedestrian casualties fell by nearly half.
The Centre for Road Safety said revenue from red-light speed cameras is used to deliver road safety initiatives in NSW.