Qld revenue camersa tolerance to drop to 3 kph

[Pedro]

Just had it from a reliable source with an ear in the Qld Govt. that the tolerance in revenue cameras is going to drop to 3 kph from December1.
Palerchuck (or is that palerspew) has to finance all those "give me a vote" promises she's been making of late.

[Trevor 57]

Welcome to Victoria, we have had that for years

They allow 3k's over the limit, so if your vehicle is standard it will most likely have a 5% error built in it, meaning that if the your speedo is reading 100 k/mh then in fact you are only doing 95, which mean for the average punter they would have to be doing 108 or more (by their speedo) to cop a fine (in a 100k zone of course - LOL) - just saying

[NAK302]

good call, i was a bit worried Queensland would end up broke after the mining boom. oh wait...

[csv8]

Acting Assistant Commissioner Mike Keating said some motorists who drive over the speed limit did not receive fines because of the speed tolerance, but he would not reveal what the tolerance levels were.

He said tolerances have been adjusted three times in the past two years to decrease the risk of injury and death in road crashes.

"What the tolerance program is trying to do, it is trying to encourage people to slow down and stick to the speed limit," he said.

"We believe there will be a road safety outcome as a result of that.

"But we're not going to publicise the tolerance level because that would create a de facto speed limit."

"Assistant Commissioner Keating said no jurisdiction in Australia, or to his knowledge anywhere in the world, published or spoke publicly about what the limits of the actual limits of their tolerance were.

"In setting our adjustments we've used a range of criteria. We have to compensate and adjust in terms of technology that we use, we always have to have an adjustment understanding in relation to the accuracy of speedometers and we also have to act in fairness to the community," he said.

"We use those three criteria in measuring and reaching our levels and we've applied a standard so it's not the same for each area. But I'm not going to go into any more detail than that."

He said the tolerance level could go to zero if that was what police wanted."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-2...police/6413652

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

Welcome to Victoria, we have had that for years

And why was it introduced? Because of falling camera revenue due to better speed compliance.

Wasn't there talk of a 1kph tolerance in Vic?

[carwant.com.au]

Victoria has had low tolerance for years. It's just frustrated drivers further so much that most spend more time looking at their speedo instead of the road!

No evidence whatsoever that this has helped the road toll....

[Falcon SXR8]

Originally Posted by csv8

He said tolerances have been adjusted three times in the past two years to decrease the risk of injury and death in road crashes.

"We believe there will be a road safety outcome as a result of that.

How these guys say this with a straight face is beyond me.

[cro142]

This sort of regulation only serves to increase a drivers' distraction while spending more time "clock watching".

It is counterproductive for road safety, but very productive for revenue.

[paule11]

Done for 68kph in a 60zone believe camera vans are set at 67 kph

[mik]

Originally Posted by cro142

This sort of regulation only serves to increase a drivers' distraction while spending more time "clock watching".

It is counterproductive for road safety, but very productive for revenue.

i certainly believe there is a good element of truth in that , its not feasible to use cruise all the time, and even then around the burbs with speed zones changing all the time ..... if you do you spend more time resetting your cruise and looking down at the speedo , where is the happy medium ???

[satria]

I was done for 66 in a 60 about a year ago near Melbourne airport. On a road I learnt later that use to be 80. To be honest I must have missed a speed sign and would have been driving to whatever seemed safe enough for that particular road. I thought that was a bit harsh.

Considering my gross speed, luckily I didn't kill half the neighbourhood. Thankfully VicRoads alerted me to my mass error weeks later by snail mail. I'm so thankful we have these people out there looking after our safety.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

Welcome to Victoria, we have had that for years

They allow 3k's over the limit, so if your vehicle is standard it will most likely have a 5% error built in it, meaning that if the your speedo is reading 100 k/mh then in fact you are only doing 95, which mean for the average punter they would have to be doing 108 or more (by their speedo) to cop a fine (in a 100k zone of course - LOL) - just saying

Love that you casually assume your speedo reads fast.

Up until 2006 the ADR's stated a cars speedo could read 10% plus OR minus. Since 2006 they are supposed to read fast so, allegedly, always safe as you say. But do you trust your licence on it?
If my pre-2006 car is booked for doing less than 10% over the limit, I should have a firm legal basis to just say to the cop "Here is the rego saying my car was built before 2006...I'm not paying", and that should be the end of it. Your car is calibrated to the standard of the day. No one books cars from the 1950's for not having seat belts, or cars made before 1976 for not having anti-pollution gear....they simply weren't fitted from the factory, but they met the standards at the time they were built. Why is the speedometer any different?

"Buy a GPS". Why should I have to? My car is factory fitted with a speed measuring device, and that should be all I have to worry about looking at. I had a cop once say to me it's up to you to make sure your vehicle is accurate, so "simply" go and get the speedo recalibrated. I asked him where would do this, and he had no idea. I rang the local VDO shop and asked them, and after some hesitation said they might be able to do it, but you would want to be sitting down when you got the price.

Tyre wear, tyre size, mechanical wear along the line from wheel to speedo, tyre pressures...there are a dozen reasons your speedo could be wrong.

Three KPH on most modern speedos is a needle width, your speed can vary more than that just driving along normally and trying to be legal.

And don't come with this crap about "if you can't judge your speed you shouldn't be driving" or "I can tell exactly how fast my car is going without looking at the speedo".
Sure you can. Even a world class racing driver wouldn't know to within a couple of k's either way exactly how fast they're going.


But then we all know it's far safer to be staring at your speedo than looking at the road...

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

All those driver who openly admit to having to stare at the speedo to maintain a legal road speed should really consider public transport for the safety of other road users.

Normal drivers can do this by simply scanning their instruments which you should be doing every few seconds, along with your mirrors, then scanning the road in front of you.

That way you can maintain a legal road speed and probably spot any cameras a few hundred metres before you get to them.

Like I have always said, the only people that get caught by these cameras are the ones speeding AND not paying attention to the road, a bad combination IMO.

[2011G6E]

You can scan your speedo and see you're "about" a certain speed. But with the ludicrously tiny tolerance, you have to check often and carefully to make sure you're not going over.

None of which answers my question...if you have a pre-2006 car your car was made to a different set of tolerances. Why can they force you to try to obey a tighter tolerance than your car is capable of...?

[Franco Cozzo]

If you get done by a speed camera on your local commute to work then obviously you don't pay too much attention to driving anyway

Yes, don't worry about that shiny new SUV parked on the side of the road just up ahead.

If you're familiar with your commute in Victoria they always cycle between a few spots, and they're always in new SUVs or Commodore Sport Wagons, the front of them has a nudge bar with two lights on it, space wide out on either side of the nudge bar, you can see them from ages away.

Don't you guys get warning signs in other states?!

[Road Games]

Originally Posted by Pedro

Just had it from a reliable source with an ear in the Qld Govt. that the tolerance in revenue cameras is going to drop to 3 kph from December1.
Palerchuck (or is that palerspew) has to finance all those "give me a vote" promises she's been making of late.

You must really love the states Biggest money earner placed only 200m from your front door Pete

[CoupeKing]

''Your Honour, I was constantly checking my speedo to make sure I wasn't speeding, that's why I hit those cows''

[csv8]

Big Damo..Queensland removed the warning signs in July...

[Road Games]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

All those driver who openly admit to having to stare at the speedo to maintain a legal road speed should really consider public transport for the safety of other road users.

Normal drivers can do this by simply scanning their instruments which you should be doing every few seconds, along with your mirrors, then scanning the road in front of you.

That way you can maintain a legal road speed and probably spot any cameras a few hundred metres before you get to them.

Like I have always said, the only people that get caught by these cameras are the ones speeding AND not paying attention to the road, a bad combination IMO.

Far out you have delusional ideas you love sharing, ever had cruise control activated while travelling downhill ?

No hills or up and down rd's around your neck of the woods , never seen popo at the bottom of any of them obviously ?

We need a double facepalm emoticon for all of your one eyed posts !

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by csv8

Big Damo..Queensland removed the warning signs in July...

Our warning sign is a new SUV parked on the side of the highway in the distance and 'Melbourne Boozebus And Speed Camera Locations' on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/MelbourneRe...Alert/?fref=ts

[marty351]

Wonder if the cameras pick up dislodged wheels speeding by?

[tweeked]

If doing 4 K's over the limit means you are driving dangerously then the speed limit has been set too high.

There was nothing wrong with the old 10% idea. WHY?????

IF.....you deliberately did 66 in a 60 zone and you were paying close attention to everything - speedo, traffic, kids on the street etc you could avoid getting fined. I did this for years and never got fined.

OR - deliberately aim to do the exact limit, just paying attention to everything other than the speedo. If you accidentally went 5 or 6 k's over while paying close attention to everything else, you had nothing to fear. You were not being dangerous.

but then that doesn't make much cash, so that logic will never win.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by marty351

Wonder if the cameras pick up dislodged wheels speeding by?

Quite a few years ago a disgruntled motorist removed his plates and sped through a revenue raiser a number of times just to feel better about things.

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

All those driver who openly admit to having to stare at the speedo to maintain a legal road speed should really consider public transport for the safety of other road users.

Normal drivers can do this by simply scanning their instruments which you should be doing every few seconds, along with your mirrors, then scanning the road in front of you.

That way you can maintain a legal road speed and probably spot any cameras a few hundred metres before you get to them.

Like I have always said, the only people that get caught by these cameras are the ones speeding AND not paying attention to the road, a bad combination IMO.

No.

My last ticket I got snapped for 63 in a 40 school zone.

Now in my experience on that stretch of road the 40 zone had always started at the next set of lights. It even has the solar powered light up flashing speed zone sign at those lights. About 100m prior to that, there is another set of lights. Just after this where the camera was. As I went past the camera on my bike. I looked at the camera and thought "62ks. Well if they get me for 2 over fair enough. But why is the camera there, why isn't it (as I was braking I to the school zone after the second set of lights) up here?"

Thought nothing of it.

Then I got a letter telling me I was 23 over. 63 in a school zone. I literally stood there with my mouth open cartoon style for almost a minute. Then yelled out "No that's wrong, the school zone starts AFTER that set of lights. It's a 60 zone there."

I then walked over to my computer and reviewed my helmet camera footage of that day. Sure enough I was in a school zone.

Determined to make sure I wasn't crazy I went back to the last time I was on that road. It wasn't a school zone then. That was 3 weeks prior. And every piece of footage prior to that still showed no school zone where I had been snapped. The footage showed on that day, a non-light up sign placed just after the first set of lights placed not that far from another road sign. It took me a minute to find it on footage and pause it to confirm that sign was there.

Was it my fault? While the argument could be made for Yes, I say no. (Shocker huh)

As a motorbike rider you learn to keep you learn to read your surroundings. I will NEVER speed in a school zone. It's only a matter of time before you collect a child or ironically, get snapped. Or both. Especially on a bike, I do not have the stability to brake and or take evasive action the way a car does.

I know that piece of road well. And I took my local knowledge of the road and area speed limit at face value. And it was wrong.

While I could of argued the point in court with my video footage, being that the sign is not in the best view of oncoming traffic, and the last time I had travelled that road it was not a school zone, I don't have the money to back it.

And no doubt the 3 questions asked would have been.

Was that you on the bike that day?

And we're you doing 63 kms an hour?

And was it a school zone on that day?

All 3 items are a yes.

"So you were speeding and were caught."

"Guilty. Dismissed"

Was I paying attention? Yes. I saw the camera, my speed, traffic lights and light up school sign ahead of me. I was also scanning for possible anomalies (children, cars and car doors opening, people walking dogs that could get free and run across the road - it's a popular pooch walking thoroughfare, etc). But was caught out by a change of circumstances.

[marty351]

Was the camera within 200 metres of the speed sign?
Here in VIC, cameras cannot be within that distance.

[Revolver]

In essence I think it's BS.

I was in America recently and the shuttle bus driver transporting us between hotels was doing 80MPH (128kms an hour) on a 60MPH (97Kms an hour) stretch of freeway.

So I asked him what was up with that (As 30ks an hour is quite a jump)

He said "Look at the cars around us"

They were all doing about the same speed. Some doing a little more and less.

"If your doing 80 miles and so is everyone else, then your all good the cops don't mind. They won't write you up. If your doing 60 and everyone else is doing 80 they WILL write you up for not keeping with the flow. It's different in Australia isn't it?"

"Yep, if you go over by 1k in Australia you will certainly die"

He got a good laugh out of that.

I didn't like America, and there is a lot that that they can learn from Australia, but that is one thing we could learn from them.....

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by marty351

Was the camera within 200 metres of the speed sign?
Here in VIC, cameras cannot be within that distance.

Yep. It was between the two lights which are about 100m apart, probably a little less.

But live and learn. It was a few months ago and it's been paid.

Bad luck, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Revolver

No.

My last ticket I got snapped for 63 in a 40 school zone.

Now in my experience on that stretch of road the 40 zone had always started at the next set of lights. It even has the solar powered light up flashing speed zone sign at those lights. About 100m prior to that, there is another set of lights. Just after this where the camera was. As I went past the camera on my bike. I looked at the camera and thought "62ks. Well if they get me for 2 over fair enough. But why is the camera there, why isn't it (as I was braking I to the school zone after the second set of lights) up here?"

Thought nothing of it.

Then I got a letter telling me I was 23 over. 63 in a school zone. I literally stood there with my mouth open cartoon style for almost a minute. Then yelled out "No that's wrong, the school zone starts AFTER that set of lights. It's a 60 zone there."

I then walked over to my computer and reviewed my helmet camera footage of that day. Sure enough I was in a school zone.

Determined to make sure I wasn't crazy I went back to the last time I was on that road. It wasn't a school zone then. That was 3 weeks prior. And every piece of footage prior to that still showed no school zone where I had been snapped. The footage showed on that day, a non-light up sign placed just after the first set of lights placed not that far from another road sign. It took me a minute to find it on footage and pause it to confirm that sign was there.

Was it my fault? While the argument could be made for Yes, I say no. (Shocker huh)

As a motorbike rider you learn to keep you learn to read your surroundings. I will NEVER speed in a school zone. It's only a matter of time before you collect a child or ironically, get snapped. Or both. Especially on a bike, I do not have the stability to brake and or take evasive action the way a car does.

I know that piece of road well. And I took my local knowledge of the road and area speed limit at face value. And it was wrong.

While I could of argued the point in court with my video footage, being that the sign is not in the best view of oncoming traffic, and the last time I had travelled that road it was not a school zone, I don't have the money to back it.

And no doubt the 3 questions asked would have been.

Was that you on the bike that day?

And we're you doing 63 kms an hour?

And was it a school zone on that day?

All 3 items are a yes.

"So you were speeding and were caught."

"Guilty. Dismissed"

Was I paying attention? Yes. I saw the camera, my speed, traffic lights and light up school sign ahead of me. I was also scanning for possible anomalies (children, cars and car doors opening, people walking dogs that could get free and run across the road - it's a popular pooch walking thoroughfare, etc). But was caught out by a change of circumstances.

Only once though, i would assume...

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Revolver

In essence I think it's BS.

I was in America recently and the shuttle bus driver transporting us between hotels was doing 80MPH (128kms an hour) on a 60MPH (97Kms an hour) stretch of freeway.

So I asked him what was up with that (As 30ks an hour is quite a jump)

He said "Look at the cars around us"

They were all doing about the same speed. Some doing a little more and less.

"If your doing 80 miles and so is everyone else, then your all good the cops don't mind. They won't write you up. If your doing 60 and everyone else is doing 80 they WILL write you up for not keeping with the flow. It's different in Australia isn't it?"

"Yep, if you go over by 1k in Australia you will certainly die"

He got a good laugh out of that.

I didn't like America, and there is a lot that that they can learn from Australia, but that is one thing we could learn from them.....

Love driving in America. Got busted pulling 90mph going up an incline in a rental mustang, and a friendly state trooper pulled me up, and was amused by the fact I was from Australia, commented on the dangers of hitting a deer at 90mph, and kindly let me on my way... No ticket, and he did give me a sense he was actually concerned about my safety. Big contrast to my experience in Australia, getting pulled up by a cocky , arrogant , power tripping bully which denotes 90% of the HWP team , and is probably why they joined the HWP (the others who couldn't drive probably joined the ATO)..

The best part was trailing crazy Pickup Truck drivers pulling 100mph down the interstate, mile after mile and not getting pulled up. People in the States appear to respect the keep-to-the-slower lane principle better than Australians.

[Polyal]

Since living in a few states with their different versions of safe, I mean really how is this amongst other issues not standardised, I can understand a tight tolerance in suburbia.

But an hour or so outside of all the major cities and you have to wonder who they are trying to protect.

Increase the quality of the major highways, increase the speed on them and then small tolerances around the city would be easier to take. They need to stop treating the public like fools.

All I can say is having minimal funding for services in rural areas has one upside...not many patrol cars around here!