Melbourne’s most lucrative speed and red light cameras are in 40km/h zones

WHICH intersection had the most fines and revenue for speed and red light cameras during the last quarter? The answer probably won’t surprise you.

Speed camera Warrigal Rd

SPEED and red light cameras at a single Chadstone intersection have racked up more fines and revenue in three months than the 26-camera system along the Hume Freeway.

Road safety cameras at the junction of Warrigal and Batesford roads rang up almost $3 million in fines, from 12,595 infringements issued, in the three months from July to September this year.

By contrast, there were 11,035 fines issued, totalling $2.6 million from the Hume Freeway camera system during the same period.

But it’s not all bad news for drivers at the notorious Chadstone hotspot, which had a 29 per cent drop in fines issued this quarter on the previous one.

It’s also a big drop from the 21,552 fines issued there from July to September last year.

Other hot spots for the most recent quarter included Fitzroy St and Lakeside Drive, St Kilda (8133 fines), Exhibition and Victoria streets, Melbourne CBD (6155) and the Princess Freeway at Point Cook (5856).

The top three cameras for infringements were in 40km/h zones.

The latest figures released on the Department of Justice’s Cameras Save Lives website also showed more than $83 million in fines were reaped from speeding and red light camera offences over the three-month period — down from $88 million during the same time last year.

The camera located on the Princes Freeway, Point Cook/Forsyth Road Bridge, Geelong bound recorded an increase of 29 per cent on the previous quarter. The Department of Justice said this spike was expected due to maintenance on the camera in the previous quarter.

In terms of speeding, the highest number of fines — 233,439 — was for drivers exceeding the speed limit by less than 10km/h, while there were 226 fines issued for people travelling at more than 45km/h over the limit.

The number of fines issued may be subject to variation over time as fines may be withdrawn or reissued.

Department of Justice and Regulation spokeswoman Lucy Huppatz said many factors affected the number of fines issued at road safety camera sites but that higher traffic volumes were generally associated with higher numbers of fines.

“99.9 per cent of vehicles passing fixed cameras and more than 99 per cent of vehicles passing mobile cameras do not receive a fine,” Ms Huppatz said.

“While the majority of people do the right thing, unfortunately there will always be those who choose to flout the law and drive dangerously.

“The fact that the number of people caught speeding in 40km/h zones has decreased in the last two quarters of 2014-15 shows that motorists are getting the message and sticking to the speed limit.”

Top 10 cameras for speed, red light and unregistered offences (July-September 2015)

1. Warrigal and Batesford roads intersection, Chadstone — 12,595 fines — $2.97m

2. Fitzroy St and Lakes Drive intersection, St Kilda — 8133 — $1.95m

3. Exhibition and Victoria streets intersection, Melbourne CBD — 6155 — $1.37m

4. Princes Freeway, Point Cook, Forsyth Rd Bridge, Geelong bound — 5856 — $1.33m

5. Western Ring Rd, approx. 1600m west of Sydney Rd, Broadmeadows, lane 4 — 5088 — $1.14m

6. Maroondah Highway and 100m west of Hutchison St, westbound, Lilydale — 3992 — $930,588

7. Princes Freeway, Hoppers Crossing, Forsyth Rd Bridge, Melbourne-bound — 3795 — $831,636

8. Whitehorse and Surrey roads intersection, Blackburn — 3783 — $867,048

9. Burnley Tunnel, approx. 430m after tunnel entrance, Southbank — 3587 — $804,801

10. Western Ring Rd, Sunshine West, southbound, Boundary Rd north-side gantry — 3244 — $730,026