Victoria, Australia and Photo Radar: Myth vs. Reality 

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Honourable Jackie Pement, addressing the Legislature of British Columbia, June 13, 1995, Hansard p.15452
"Australia has a longer time span of using photo radar, and that is why theirs are interesting stats: 24 percent of their drivers were speeding, and in two years that dropped to 2 percent after the radar cameras were introduced. Over four years these cameras contributed to a 46 percent reduction in fatalities, and a 36 percent reduction in injuries. Those are pretty significant stats."

Honourable Jackie Pement, addressing the Legislature of British Columbia, June 22, 1995, Hansard p.15997.
"Where speed monitoring cameras have been used, there has been a significant decline in highway deaths and injuries. ... The state of Victoria in Australia has reported a drop of 46 percent in fatalities since the speed monitoring cameras were implemented four years ago, and injuries are down 36 percent."

Australia began with some of the worst traffic statistics in the industrialized world - their ability to produce large reductions in accidents required little effort.

Ian B. Greenwood. Traffic and Safety Policy Sub-Committee on Speed Cameras. Impact of Speed Cameras. April 1992, p. 7-8.
"The road toll in Victoria has declined dramatically since late 1989. Many initiatives have been introduced aver the last two years, and it is difficult to know which of these counter-measures has had the greatest effect on the road toll. It is likely that the decline in the road toll cannot be attributed to one factor alone."

"Public awareness of road safety has increased substantially in recent years...."

"The economy has been in a recession since the end of 1989..."

"A further countermeasure has been the continuing emphasis on treating accident blackspots..."

"Increased enforcement of drinking-driving through booze busses has probably deterred drivers from driving whilst alcohol impaired. ... a reduction in drinking driving has had a marked impact on the road toll."

"It is not possible to determine the exact contribution of speed cameras to this reduction."

FHWA Study Tour for Speed Management and Enforcement Technology, 1995 December, p. 48.
"In the vast majority of cases, the program [NLIMITS and VLIMITS, used to set speed limits in Victoria, Australia] recommends a speed limit within 5 km/h of the 85th percentile speed."

MORE TO COME...

Rev: 1998.09.29