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Centre for Road Safety

  1. NSW Centre for Road Safety
  2. Driving too fast
  3. Speed cameras
  4. 2019 review

2019 review

Cameras vital to help reduce speeding

As part of the NSW Government’s commitment to reducing road trauma and serious injuries, the effectiveness of speed camera programs in NSW is reviewed each year. The 2019 speed camera review shows that speed cameras continue to deliver positive road safety benefits.

Trauma reductions at fixed and red-light speed camera locations have exceeded the trauma reductions observed across NSW since those cameras were installed.

Fixed speed cameras

Overall, there has been a reduction in fatal crashes and injury crashes at fixed speed camera locations since the cameras were installed, compared with the five-year period before installation.
Specifically, at fixed speed camera locations there has been a:

  • 36 per cent reduction in casualty crashes
  • 74 per cent reduction in fatalities
  • 41 per cent reduction in injuries.

The reduction in fatalities and injuries represents a saving of $530 million to the community.

Of the 109 fixed speed camera locations, seven locations operate in warning mode and five locations are high-risk sites located in tunnels. Recommendations are not provided for these 12 locations.

For the remaining 97 fixed speed camera locations:

  • 77 locations were found to offer continued safety benefits
  • 5 locations were identified for ongoing monitoring in future years
  • 5 locations had insufficient data to review
  • 10 locations were ineligible for review.

No additional fixed digital speed camera locations were identified for further review.

None of the 10 highest infringing fixed speed camera locations were identified for ongoing monitoring.

Red-light speed cameras

Overall, there has been a reduction in fatal crashes and injury crashes at red-light speed camera locations since the cameras were installed, compared with the five-year period before installation.

Specifically, at red-light speed camera locations there has been a:

  • 23 per cent reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes
  • 73 per cent reduction in fatalities
  • 24 per cent reduction in serious injuries
  • 52 per cent reduction in pedestrian casualties.

The reduction in fatalities and serious injuries represents a saving of $107 million to the community.

Of the 180 red-light speed camera intersections, 56 locations have not yet been installed for five years. Recommendations are not provided for these 80 locations.

For the remaining 124 locations:

  • 84 locations were found to offer continued safety benefits
  • 39 locations were identified for ongoing monitoring in future years
  • 1 location was identified for review.

No additional red-light speed camera locations were identified for further review.

None of the 10 highest infringing red-light speed camera locations were identified for ongoing monitoring.

Average speed cameras

Overall, there has been a reduction in fatal crashes and serious injury crashes involving a heavy vehicle on NSW heavy vehicle average speed enforcement lengths since those lengths were installed, compared with the five-year period before installation.

Across heavy vehicle average speed enforcement lengths, there has been a:

  • 27 per cent reduction in casualty crashes involving a heavy vehicle
  • 45 per cent reduction in fatalities from crashes involving heavy vehicles
  • 10 per cent reduction in serious injuries from crashes involving heavy vehicles.

The reduction in fatalities and serious injuries represents a saving of $144 million to the community.

Mobile speed cameras

Annual speed survey data indicates that the mobile speed camera program continues to deliver road safety benefits, compared to results before the reintroduction of the mobile speed camera program in 2010.

NSW speed survey data for the last nine years shows a reduced proportion of light vehicles exceeding the speed limit, across all speed zones. Comparing the 2018 speed survey results against those from 2017, there was a decreased proportion of light vehicles exceeding the speed limit in most NSW speed zones measured.

In 2018, the number of infringements issued by mobile speed cameras increased by 20 per cent compared to 2017. More than 99 per cent of vehicles passing mobile speed cameras are not infringed for speeding, and this high rate of compliance has remained consistent since 2010 when the program was reintroduced in NSW.

Annual reviews

Since our first speed camera review in 2012, we have reviewed the effectiveness of NSW speed cameras each year. Detailed information is available in the NSW speed camera program reviews.