Rt!
13-06-2004, 09:40 AM
Motorists face the sin bin
June 13, 2004
POLICE will use a wheelie bin to catch speeding motorists.
A hi-tech camera will be hidden in the plastic bin – resembling those used by thousands of households – and stationed on roadsides throughout South Australia.
Narrow suburban streets and other roads difficult to access by standard speed cameras and unmarked police cars will be targeted, police say.
"It's the next generation of camera for us," said Acting Assistant Commissioner Col Cornish from Operations Support Service, which oversees speed and red light cameras.
"We want to make people aware that we will use any method at our disposal to reduce serious injury and collision on our roads.
"It will be used in narrow streets and locations where a normal vehicle set-up could be hazardous or not possible."
According to State Budget papers, police expect to reap an an additional $22.5 million in all fines and penalties next financial year (2004-05) – to raise a record $77.8 million.
Mr Cornish said the new $120,000 wheelie bin camera, which was listed in the Budget papers, would be part of a stepped-up traffic campaign.
"Most of the cameras on the roadside (now) are older-style cameras," he said.
"This gives us a greater memory capacity, image capacity and it's much easier for us to download."
Funded and maintained by Transport SA, the new camera - which will be installed in a white bin - will arrive from Germany by the end of the year.
It will be trialled before it goes into operation early next year.
Mr Cornish said the idea for the covert bin camera came after discussions between police and Transport SA.
He was said he was sure it was already in use elsewhere, but could not detail exactly where. "It would be used in other areas of the world – I've no doubt that other people use it in other styles (aside from the bin)," he said.
"The bin is really just to keep the elements off the digital camera."
Notoriously dangerous roads such as Gorge Rd, in the Adelaide Hills, and the Adelaide to Victor Harbor road would be among those targeted with the new high-tech camera.
Narrow suburban streets with 40km/h speed limits, such as those in Unley, would also be more easily accessible with this style of camera.
Motorists will be made aware that they have passed the wheelie bin camera through the normal use of speed camera signs.
"The Gorge Rd, in particular, has a history of accidents and fatalities," Mr Cornish said. "The camera will be used there (and elsewhere) as part of the campaign to reduce road trauma."
Budget papers show police will spend an extra 6463 hours, making a total of 83,000, on speed detection next financial year. This will involve using mobile cameras, red light cameras, radars and lasers.
An additional 108,000 expiation notices for traffic offences are expected.
RAA traffic and safety manager Chris Thomson said he supported the introduction of the bin camera.
"It is another way of speed detection aimed primarily at those drivers who are not deterred by highly visible enforcement techniques such as laser guns," he said.
"I'm not at all worried by it and nor should anybody else be. It's been tried elsewhere with success."
Opposition police spokesman Robert Brokenshire said the State Government should be spending on additional police patrols rather than novel speed detectors.
"While we support initiatives to slow down speeding motorists, let's get serious about black spot areas, funding more traffic police and better roads," Mr Brokenshire said.
"Rather than the Government getting its ideas on road safety from watching Maxwell Smart, they should have their focus on infrastructure and police resourcing."
Sunday Mail (SA)
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9831805%255E26462,00.html
Lovely, they arent shy about revenue raising now. Some of the crap thats said in that article is pure wack.
June 13, 2004
POLICE will use a wheelie bin to catch speeding motorists.
A hi-tech camera will be hidden in the plastic bin – resembling those used by thousands of households – and stationed on roadsides throughout South Australia.
Narrow suburban streets and other roads difficult to access by standard speed cameras and unmarked police cars will be targeted, police say.
"It's the next generation of camera for us," said Acting Assistant Commissioner Col Cornish from Operations Support Service, which oversees speed and red light cameras.
"We want to make people aware that we will use any method at our disposal to reduce serious injury and collision on our roads.
"It will be used in narrow streets and locations where a normal vehicle set-up could be hazardous or not possible."
According to State Budget papers, police expect to reap an an additional $22.5 million in all fines and penalties next financial year (2004-05) – to raise a record $77.8 million.
Mr Cornish said the new $120,000 wheelie bin camera, which was listed in the Budget papers, would be part of a stepped-up traffic campaign.
"Most of the cameras on the roadside (now) are older-style cameras," he said.
"This gives us a greater memory capacity, image capacity and it's much easier for us to download."
Funded and maintained by Transport SA, the new camera - which will be installed in a white bin - will arrive from Germany by the end of the year.
It will be trialled before it goes into operation early next year.
Mr Cornish said the idea for the covert bin camera came after discussions between police and Transport SA.
He was said he was sure it was already in use elsewhere, but could not detail exactly where. "It would be used in other areas of the world – I've no doubt that other people use it in other styles (aside from the bin)," he said.
"The bin is really just to keep the elements off the digital camera."
Notoriously dangerous roads such as Gorge Rd, in the Adelaide Hills, and the Adelaide to Victor Harbor road would be among those targeted with the new high-tech camera.
Narrow suburban streets with 40km/h speed limits, such as those in Unley, would also be more easily accessible with this style of camera.
Motorists will be made aware that they have passed the wheelie bin camera through the normal use of speed camera signs.
"The Gorge Rd, in particular, has a history of accidents and fatalities," Mr Cornish said. "The camera will be used there (and elsewhere) as part of the campaign to reduce road trauma."
Budget papers show police will spend an extra 6463 hours, making a total of 83,000, on speed detection next financial year. This will involve using mobile cameras, red light cameras, radars and lasers.
An additional 108,000 expiation notices for traffic offences are expected.
RAA traffic and safety manager Chris Thomson said he supported the introduction of the bin camera.
"It is another way of speed detection aimed primarily at those drivers who are not deterred by highly visible enforcement techniques such as laser guns," he said.
"I'm not at all worried by it and nor should anybody else be. It's been tried elsewhere with success."
Opposition police spokesman Robert Brokenshire said the State Government should be spending on additional police patrols rather than novel speed detectors.
"While we support initiatives to slow down speeding motorists, let's get serious about black spot areas, funding more traffic police and better roads," Mr Brokenshire said.
"Rather than the Government getting its ideas on road safety from watching Maxwell Smart, they should have their focus on infrastructure and police resourcing."
Sunday Mail (SA)
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9831805%255E26462,00.html
Lovely, they arent shy about revenue raising now. Some of the crap thats said in that article is pure wack.