Mobile speed cameras Tasmania to issue fines from September 30
Overt or covert, “hundreds” of possible locations, six lanes in both directions captured at a time: Tasmania’s new top-line mobile speed cameras are issuing fines from Friday. Meet speeding drivers’ new worst enemy.
Police & Courts
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TASMANIA’S eight new mobile speed cameras can capture up to six lanes of traffic travelling in both directions.
The devices are now operating across the state and will be both visible and hidden from motorists.
The cameras can be placed in any of “hundreds” of locations statewide identified as speeding hot spots and have been launched as thousands hit the road for the October school holidays.
Unveiling the technology on Friday, Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson said speeding motorists would begin receiving infringements in the mail within a week.
Fines start from $87 and the accumulation of two demerit points, up to $1041 and six demerit points – depending on how far offenders exceed the speed limit.
The cameras are owned and operated by Sensys Gatso Australia and located both within four box trailers and in the boot of the four Department of State Growth vehicles which tow them.
The DSG vehicle initially tows the box trailer to a location, drops it off and then travels to a different location.
The cameras will be either “overt (visible to motorists) or covert (hidden from motorists),” Mr Ferguson said.
The $8m, multi-year contract with Sensys has provision for eight more cameras to be introduced to Tasmania.
This is likely to occur next year, with the second batch of cameras to again be split between box trailers and DSG vehicles.
New “periscope” cameras, which catch driver infringements such as not wearing a seatbelt or using a mobile phone, are also likely to start operating next year, Mr Ferguson said.
Legislation to allow this type of traffic monitoring is before parliament, with more testing and the drafting of new regulations required before they can be activated.
Initially, all infringements captured on the cameras will be “pre-verified” by Sensys staff, before being forwarded on to DSG.
Eventually, Sensys will stop pre-verifying the data and State Growth will take over that function.
Mr Ferguson revealed the reason behind his passion for road safety – he lost an uncle in 1984 to the actions of a drunk driver.
“My story is not unique,” he said. “In families right around the state, there is someone missing, nearly always from a cause that is preventable.”
There have been 43 fatalities on Tasmanian roads in 2022 so far. Last year 35 people died on the roads.
Mr Ferguson said the proof of the pudding would be whether average speeds come down to within the legal limit at monitored sites across the state. He said they had crept outside in the past few years.
Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Higgins revealed his organisation was right behind the new technology.
“Some people will see these cameras and get comfort police are trying to change driver behaviour. Some people will need to get a fine to understand they’re breaking the law,” Commissioner Higgins said.
Tasmania Police had already identified “hundreds” of locations suitable for the mobile speed cameras, he said.
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