safety expert to review Canberra speed cameras - ABC Online

Updated November 20, 2013 10:15:55

The ACT Government will review the effectiveness of Canberra's road safety cameras to see if they are reducing road accidents and fatalities.

The capital's fixed-speed cameras have come under fire since it has been revealed there has been an increase in accidents at intersections where the cameras are installed.

The location of point-to-point cameras has also been criticised.

Now Attorney-General Simon Corbell has announced an independent road safety expert will assess whether the cameras are effective.

"It is always important that we undertake detailed evaluation of the program," he said.

"This will be the first large-scale evaluation of the program since mobile speed cameras were first introduced by the previous Liberal government."

The Territory has 33 safety cameras, made up of fixed-speed cameras, red light/speed cameras, mobile camera vans and the two point-to-point units on Athllon and Hindmarsh drives.

"We now have over a 10-year period, a good range of data about overall effectiveness of the program that will help inform this review," Mr Corbell said.

"The changes safety cameras can make do take time to be recorded in data and I think now we do have a sufficient body of data to look at the overall effectiveness of the program which has grown over this time."

The review will begin early next year and Mr Corbell expects recommendations will be made before the end of 2014.

He says it is too early to say if the Government will remove cameras from spots where they are not improving road safety.

"This is an important step to take and it will assist the Government in oversighting the operation of the program and making sure we have the best possible governance arrangements in place," he said.

NRMA spokesman Allan Evans says reviewing point-to-point speed cameras is particularly important.

"I'm not a big fan of them in Canberra because they're not designed for urban roads, they're designed for open roads," he said.

"What you've got to look at is them over a longer time frame, the kilometres driven, the number of crashes per kilometres driven, the number of deaths and road traumas in that time.

"We're yet to see that evidence."

The NRMA hopes to have its own road safety experts involved in the review.

Speed was a significant factor in more than a quarter of fatal crashes in the ACT between 2008 and 2012.

Topics: road, states-and-territories, act, canberra-2600

First posted November 20, 2013 08:57:19