Speed cameras in Australia

Speed Cameras are used in Australia to enforce speed limits.

Mobile Cameras

Gatso Speed Camera

This mobile camera is used in Victoria and Queensland, and can be operated in various manners. Without a flash, the only evidence of speed camera on the outside of the car is black rectangular box, which sends out the radar beam , about 30cm by 10, mounted on the front of the car. On the older models of the camera, and on rainy days or in bad light, a cable is used to link it to a box with a flash placed just in front of the vehicle. The operator sits in the car and takes the pictures, which are then uploaded to a laptop computer. In both states unmarked cars are used, although in Victoria the operation of the cameras is carried by a contractor from Serco, in Queensland a uniformed police officer is the operator.

Many of the modern Gatso cameras now feature full capability, flashless operation. The advent of infra-red flash technology has provided Gatsos with the capacity to capture vehicles exceeding the limit in varying conditions - without emiting a bright flash, which in many cases can be considered distracting to the driver. Infra-red light is essentially invisible to the human eye, but when used as a flash, it can be filtered by the camera to produce a crystal clear image in any condition.

Multanova speed camera

Used only in Western Australia, this Doppler RADAR-based camera is mounted usually on a tripod on the side of the road. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a "Multinova". Multanovas are manufactured by a Swiss company of the same name - Western Australia utilises the 6F and the 9F models.Fact|date=January 2008

During the daytime, the Multanova unit uses a standard "white" flash, but in low light or night time, a red filter is added to the flash so as to not dazzle the driver.

The camera is always accompanied by a white station wagon or by a black or, more commonly a white Nissan X-Trail, staffed by an un-sworn police officer (not a contractor) who is responsible for assembling and dissembling the unit, supervising it and operating the accompanying laptop in the car for the few hours that it is deployed at a location. There are currently 25 in circulation in Perth. [ [http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23043475-2761,00.html More speed cameras for WA | PerthNow ] ]

Multanova cameras are still presently in use.

PoliScan Mobile Camera

This laser-based or LIDAR system has two 4 megapixel digital cameras that photograph the driver, vehicle and license plate, before automatically reading the license plate using ANPR technology. Flash illumination for the cameras is provided by either a red or an infrared flash. Up to three lanes of traffic can be monitored simultaneously, while all vehicles travelling abreast or in tight formation can be tracked and caught.

The system uses an automated back office software application to process digital evidence gathered by the camera, so there is no manual intervention required from the point of photographing a speeding motorist to the issuing of a fine. [cite web|url=http://www.vitronic.de/uploads/media/ti_poliscan_speed_e_05.pdf
title=Technical Information:
PoliScanspeed Automatic Speed Enforcement
author=Vitronic GmbH
accessdate=2007-08-31
date=2006-10-12]

Fixed Cameras

Speed Cameras

These cameras come in many forms, some free standing on poles; others mounted on bridges or overhead gantries. The cameras may consist of a box for taking photographs, as well as a smaller box for the flash, or only a single box containing all the instruments. Recently introduced [http://www.wikipatents.com/7016518.html infrared cameras] , do not emit a blinding flash and can therefore be used to take front-on photographs showing the driver's face.

Most states are now starting to replace older analogue film fixed cameras with modern digital variants.

Fixed speed cameras can use Doppler RADAR or Piezo strips embedded in the road to measure a vehicle's speed as it passes the camera.

However ANPR technology is also used to time vehicles between two or more fixed cameras that are a known distance apart (typically at least several kilometers). The average speed is then calculated using the formula: $speed\; =\; \{distance\; over\; time\}$. The longer distance over which the speed is measured prevents drivers from slowing down momentarily for a camera before speeding up again. The [http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/heavyvehicles/safety/safetcam/index.html SAFE-T-CAM] system uses this technology, but only targets heavy vehicles due to its out-of-date technology not being able to process the much larger volume of passenger vehicle data. Newer ANPR cameras in Victoria are able to target any vehicle.

Red Light Camera

The most common and probably most wide spread camera is the red light camera, which is a common sight at intersections in cities and large towns. They consist of a camera on one pole and flash on another, except in Western Australia where the unit is a single yellow box on a pole. Speed sensors are usually Piezo strips embedded in the road.

In Victoria and Queensland Gatso cameras are used, although in Victoria and New South Wales they are being phased out in favour of newer combination speed/red light digital cameras which can monitor both red light and speed transgressions (see next section).

Dual Speed and Red Light Camera

These cameras are used in the Northern Territory, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. They were recently introduced to intersections in Victoria. They detect speeding at the intersection as well as running a red light. They look the same as red light cameras, except they are digital and look slightly more modern. The Victorian cameras are Traffipax brand.

Queensland is in the process of investigating conversion to dual redlight/speed cameras as the current system is reaching end-of-life.

Locations of Speed Cameras in Australia

The locations of many speed and other safety cameras in Australia are available to view at [http://www.roadwatch.com.au/speedcameras.asp http://www.roadwatch.com.au/]

[http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/ PocketGpsWorld.com] has Point of Interest information for fixed, red light and mobile cameras for Australia. This information can be downloaded onto a GPS device such as TomTom, Garmin, Navman so that the driver can be warned when approaching a speed camera.

References

ee also

*Point system
*Traffic enforcement camera

External links

tate-published speed camera locations

* [http://www.justice.vic.gov.au/CA256E5F0003DEF3/page/Speed+Cameras?OpenDocument&1=10-Speed+Cameras~&2=~&3=~ Department of Justice - Speed Cameras] - Victoria
* [http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/safety/road/initiatives/new_safety_laws/red_light_camera_locations.asp Red Light / Speed Camera Locations] - South Australia
* [http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/speedandspeedcameras/fixeddigitalspeedcameras/fixedspeedcameralocations/index.html RTA list of fixed speed camera locations] - NSW
* [http://www.sapolice.sa.gov.au/sapol/road_safety/speed_camera_locations.jsp?text_only=true SA Police Speed Camera Locations] - South Australia

Other

* [http://www.justice.vic.gov.au/CA256902000FE154/Lookup/Road_Safety_PDFs/$file/VictoriaPoliceMobileSpeedCameraPolicy&OperationsManual.pdf Victoria Police Mobile Speed Camera Policy and Operations Manual]
* [http://www.vitronic.de/en/verkehr/poliscansupstrongemspeedemstrongsup/ PoliScan (Vitronic GmbH)]
* [http://www.policespeedcameras.info/vitronic.html Police Speed Cameras.info]
* [http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/gallery.html Photo Enforcement Gallery at roadtraffic-technology.com]
* [http://fightfines.info The fightfines website with facts and legal arguments]