QLD Police No Proof Speed Cameras Make us Safer on The Roads

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'ONE of the state’s top cops concedes he does not have any proof that the speed-camera crackdown is keeping us safer on the roads.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Mike Keating yesterday held a press conference to respond to The Courier-Mail’s revelation that the slashing of the “tolerance margin” for drivers caught by speed cameras had triggered a 47 per cent hike in low-level fines.

Even though the crackdown has been running for 21 months, Mr Keating (below) said he did not have data to back a claim that the crackdown on speed had prevented crashes, injury or deaths.

“We are not making a claim that the two are linked … it’s very early in the process … (at the start) the Commissioner (Ian Stewart) believed there would be … benefits for road safety by (cutting) the tolerance level,” Mr Keating said.




It came as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk backed away from previous calls for the tolerance levels to be made public.

When asked if she maintained the position she took in opposition of revealing tolerance levels, she said: “There probably is some merit, but I’m now in Government, I’m the Premier of the state.

“I said I’d lead a Government by consensus, so I’m more than happy to have the conversation with the Police Commissioner, but also let’s see what’s happening in other states as well,” she said.

Other states do not reveal tolerance levels, Mr Keating said.

He said statisticians may need up to 10 years to decide if the crackdown saved lives or injuries.

The road toll was at 68 yesterday, up eight on the same time last year.

Mr Keating said that he may “consider” introducing “graduated” fines, so a driver busted 5km/h over the posted limit would pay a lower fine than someone caught doing 13km/h over the limit.

“I don’t see anyone rushing to make that request (to me), (but) that’s something I would have to consider in more detail,” Mr Keating said.

He said the Queensland Police Service had collected data about the tolerance margin and car accidents but had not used any of it to *prepare a report.

“If (Mr Stewart) asks us … we can,” he said.

“We look forward to the research of the appropriate bodies to review the overall crash data and just see what relationship exists,” he said, referring to university and other policing researchers.

The QPS began lowering the margin on fixed and *mobile speed cameras in July 2013. It lowered the margin three times, with the final cut made in “the second half” of last year.

The exact size of the tolerance margin, and whether it is measured as a percentage of the speed zone or a number of km/h, is a closely guarded secret.

Mr Keating would only say the margin varied on the location of the speed camera.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/q...-1227316012068