Melbourne’s top speeding camera nabs drivers near Chadstone

SPEEDING drivers have been stung cold hard cash, with Victoria’s top 10 cash cameras netting more than $16 million in fines in three months. And the top one will come as no surprise.

Speeding drivers in Eastlink’s Melba and Mullum Mullum tunnels have been fined nearly $900,000 in three months.

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SPEEDING Victorian drivers have been stung cold hard cash, with the state’s top 10 cash cameras netting more than $16 million in fines in just three months.

The top three sites for fines issued across Melbourne — the Batesford Rd cameras near Chadstone, the junction of Flinders and William streets in the CBD, and the intersection of Fitzroy St and Lakeside Drive in St Kilda — are 40km/h zones, according to the latest figures released by the Department of Justice and Regulation.

The statistics for last year’s July to September quarter also reveal complacent drivers have been caught speeding through tunnels in Melbourne’s east, with speed cameras near EastLink tunnel exits for all three lanes of the Melba and Mullum Mullum tunnels nabbing leadfooted motorists.

Drivers wound up paying nearly $900,000 after more than 3500 offences in the three months alone.

Drivers have been fined speeding through the Melba and Mullum Mullum tunnels on EastLink.

More than 27,000 speeding offences were clocked up across the whole EastLink camera system in the same period — with drivers most likely to be stung heading southbound through Rowville on the bridge over Wellington Road — netting nearly $6.5 million for state government coffers.

Drivers hurrying to get home after shopping at Westfield Doncaster were also fined for speeding or darting through red lights across the six lanes at the intersection of Williamsons and Doncaster roads.

Across the three month period, 156 offences saw drivers cough up more than $55,000 in fines.

The William and Flinders streets intersection also claimed the dubious honour of Victoria’s hot spot for people running red lights, with almost 2000 fines issued during the quarter.

Department of Justice and Regulation spokesman Michael Newhouse said there was a decreasing trend in the number of people caught speeding or running red lights in 40km/h zones.

“This trend continues for the Chadstone camera, which recorded an almost 3 per cent drop in infringements compared with the previous quarter. This camera has a high volume of traffic,” Mr Newhouse said.

The cameras on the corner of Flinders and William streets are the most profitable in Melbourne CBD.

“While it’s encouraging to see more people slowing down and obeying the rules, there are still too many drivers putting lives on the line in these high-risk zones.”

The latest figures also showed more than $87 million in fines were reaped from speeding and red light camera offences over the three-month period — up from $83 million during the same time in 2015.

In terms of speeding, the highest number of fines — 239,501 — was for drivers exceeding the speed limit by less than 10km/h.

Mr Newhouse said: “We know low-level speeding can be just as dangerous as high-level speeding on our roads, so those few kilometres over really do matter.”

He said 40km/h camera sites were generally located in pedestrian areas, such as shopping strips and school zones.

“Speeding, even just a few kilometres over the limit, can have deadly consequences,” Mr Newhouse said.

There were also 274 fines issued for people travelling at more than 45km/h over the limit.

For more information, and to see the full list of fines by camera site, visit camerassavelives.vic.gov.au

The top sites for fines issued across Melbourne include 40km/h zones, including the cameras on the corner of Exhibition and Victoria streets. Picture: Hamish Blair

MELBOURNE’S TOP CASH CAMS

1. Warrigal and Batesford roads intersection, Chadstone — 12,862 fines — $3 million

2. Flinders and William streets intersection, Melbourne CBD — 12,124 fines — $3 million

3. Fitzroy St and Lakeside Drive, St Kilda — 9653 fines — $2.3 million

4. Princes Freeway, Point Cook, Forsyth Rd Bridge, Geelong-bound — 7499 fines — $1.7 million

5. Burnley Tunnel, Southbank, about 430m after the tunnel entrance, lane 1 — 6169 fines — $1.4 million

6. Exhibition and Victoria streets intersection, Melbourne CBD — 5320 fines — $1.2 million

7. Western Ring Rd, 1.6km west of Sydney Rd, Broadmeadows, lane four — 4490 fines — $1 million

8. Princes Freeway, Point Cook, Forsyth Rd Bridge, Geelong-bound — 3924 fines — $892,520

9. Burnley Tunnel, Southbank, 430m after the tunnel entrance, lane 2 — 3510 fines — $829,867

10. Maroondah Highway. about 100m west of Hutchison St, westbound, Lilydale, lanes 1 and 2 — 3416 fines — $814,464.

*Fines were for speed, red light and unregistered offences (July to September 2016)