Worst road toll in more than a decade: call for more speed cameras

Road safety experts have called for a drastic change in a bid to rein in the state’s shocking road toll. Find out what they want here.

Andrew Everett and Maddi Baird. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

THE number of mobile speed cameras in Tasmania should be doubled in a bid to rein in the state’s shocking road toll, say road safety experts.

The state has experienced one of it’s worst road tolls in more than a decade, with 50 fatalities in 2022, compared to 35 the previous year, and 255 serious injuries, up from 248 in 2021.

Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania (RACT) chief advocacy officer Garry Bailey has called on all three tiers of government to better enforce speed limits and introduce more sophisticated technology to stamp out dangerous drivers.

The government introduced eight new mobile speed cameras in September and will roll out another eight early this year, but Mr Bailey wants to see that number doubled.

“We supported the government initiative on this very strongly. There’s eight at the moment, we expect to see 16 in the New Year and we want to eventually see that number increased to 32 because the evidence … is overwhelming. They are a deterrent,” he said.

More than 5570 speeding fines have been issued since the mobile speed cameras were launched.

An overhead camera that can detect the wearing of seatbelt s and mobile phone use by road users. Picture: Linda Higginson

The new cameras will be equipped with technology to detect illegal mobile phone use and seatbelt noncompliance.

“It should be blindingly obvious to any Tasmanian that drives extensively on rural roads, particularly, that 100 kilometre speed limits on some of those roads is utterly inappropriate. it must be lowered,” Mr Bailey said.

The RACT has written to every council in the state urging them to embrace a consistent approach to managing speed limits.

"One of our big focuses will be making sure that speed limits are set appropriately for the road conditions.

“Tasmania has overwhelmingly recognised there is a problem and they also recognise what the solutions are … we need more enforcement, better technology to enforce and better roads.”

Speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and being distracted were major contributing factors to the road toll, according to the state growth department.

The last time Tasmania suffered a road toll of this scale was in 2009, when 63 people lost their lives.

Treasurer Michael Ferguson.

Infrastructure and transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the government was on track to implement 42 initiatives from its Towards Zero Action Plan.

“These statistics show us that many challenges still lay ahead in our journey towards our target of zero serious injuries and deaths on Tasmanian roads,” Mr Ferguson said.

“We know the impact of these deaths affects families, friends and entire communities.”

Andrew Everett, 28, was one of the 50 people who died on Tasmania’s roads last year, when the car he was travelling in collided with an oncoming vehicle at Sandford in August.

Mr Everette’s sister Nikita Everett said her brother’s unexpected and tragic death has changed their family forever.

“Learning to live with out him every single day, knowing we’re never going to see him or his beautiful smile again … it’s affected us by knowing the way he passed away was a cruel, horrible death and that we never got to say our proper goodbyes,” Ms Everett said.

“We miss him dearly and we are so, so sorry to every that has lost there loved one to a car accident this year or lost on our roads.”

Originally published as Worst road toll in more than a decade: call for more speed cameras