Old vans to be turned into Covert Flash for Cash

[SLO AU XR8]

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...82-952,00.html

Originally Posted by www.news.com.au

Robyn Ironside and Michael Crutcher

January 04, 2010 11:00pm

OLD vans that have to be made roadworthy are set to be in the first fleet of covert speed cameras rolled out on Queensland roads.

The reconditioned wrecks will be part of a varied group of vehicles used in the stealth assault on speed.

Police will handpick their fleet and expect to turn an old van worth a few thousand dollars into a vehicle that could reap tens of thousands in fines.

Older vehicles must be restored to roadworthy status, rewired and fitted with airconditioning and powerful batteries. None of the covert cameras will bear police markings.

"If it's going to be a covert operation there will be no signage at all because that would defeat the purpose of it," Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said yesterday.

"Covert would be truly covert and that would mean anywhere, anytime, any vehicle."

The Courier-Mail, in conjunction with police and the State Government, yesterday launched the "Brake the Habit" campaign aimed at reducing the road toll in 2010.

The Government has already announced plans to boost its anti-speeding strategy, and the first unmarked cameras will start snapping lead-footed motorists from as early as June.

Police have trialled three unmarked vehicles, taken from the existing speed camera fleet of 30 vans.

Police Minister Neil Roberts said up to 30 per cent of speed camera hours would be clocked by unmarked vans.

"If we are serious about reducing the road toll, we have to dramatically change driver behaviour," Mr Roberts said.

"Human factors account for over 90 per cent of road fatalities. Increasing the chance and uncertainty of detection is a powerful motivator in changing driver behaviour."

Queensland's road toll has been below 300 only once in 55 years. In 1998, 279 people died in the first full year speed cameras were deployed.

Queensland is following the Victorian method after that state brought its road toll to its lowest level since records began in 1952.

Victorian roads have been policed by covert cameras for more than 20 years. The cameras have been housed in vans, utes and sedans.

Victoria's top traffic cop said the devices had been one of the most significant factors in their reduced toll.

"We don't announce where they are or where they're going to be," Deputy Commissioner Ken Lay said.

"The research is very, very clear right across the world that if you drop the speed level, you cut the level of road trauma."

Mr Lay said Victoria's fixed cameras were rarely signed for motorists but a website listed full details of all camera locations.

Mr Atkinson conceded it was possible Queensland could move towards the Victorian model where all mobile speed cameras operated covertly.

"It's up to us to show in the course of this year and perhaps beyond that, what's working and what isn't working," Mr Atkinson said.

[GT69]

Victoria's top traffic cop said the devices had been one of the most significant factors in their reduced toll.

I like that

[blownv8au]

not just vans, they're also using sedans and utes. they reckon any vehicle any time any where. looks like i'll be heading out to the old dirt tracks.

[GHO57]

Should spend the money on teaching people to drive, eg: ways to prevent an accident, rather than just make the $ without teaching ppl how to drive.

[Zedjay]

how is not knowing you have been caught speeding going to slow you down???

[GS608]

gee they're actually not that bright hey, so im flying down the M1 at 150 and go past one of these old vans with infared flash, no idea i've been caught so i keep speeding then 5 minutes later cause a 5 car pile up with everyone dead..Speed camera certainly saved our lives there hey!!

The only way to reduce speeding is more marked HWP cars out on duty, where they catch you in the act. Other than that maybe they should shove some cash into driver training!

[RG]

Bloody hell QLD be scared. Ken Lay is not the kind of person I'd take any advice from, he's nothing but a muppet.

[ltd_on20s]

and this is why no one cares anymore whether they drive over the speed limit, with or without licenses, or any regard for road rules.

[Bundy]

This is a direct result of letting all the muppets and mexicans in, back in '55 only banana benders lived in the "tropics" and we were too busy fishing and drinking to worry about speeding

maybe we need to put out the welcome MAT......Mexican Avoidance Tax

[UNR8D]

easy, look for old van's on the side of the road, with a new air con unit sticking a foot out of the rusty roof ;). then take great joy in knowing blight provides you objects for target practice with what ever method you so choose

[ltd_on20s]

1 litre paint cans.

(no i do not endorse unilateral paint attacks on government property)

[SLO AU XR8]

I want a 4wd and some snatch straps

[AndrewR_AUII]

Similar to putting them in rubbish bins...which has been done in SA

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by AndrewR_AUII

Similar to putting them in rubbish bins...which has been done in SA

Man don't you wish you were a garbo truck driver.....just pick it up and try to empty it, rattle it around a bit, knock it over.

Or throw a large maccas drink (still full) into it while you walk past...

[LTDHO]

Not the 'Flash for cash' I was expecting...

[xe351]

maybe plate theft will now become higher? motorists are an easy target for the money hungry poli's

[brownieXR8]

Originally Posted by Zedjay

how is not knowing you have been caught speeding going to slow you down???

The theory is that you never know where they are so you slow down and obey the limits at all times, not really too difficult if you ask me.

[mrbaxr6t]

oh man just another grab to the back pockets of regular australians who will inevitably get pinged for 1-2kmh over the limit by some old jalopy Threads like this really get me fired up honestly if the aim of these things was to slow cars down then have a pair of them 100mt apart or something, one to light up a sign telling the motorist they are speeding, and if they ignore the sign a second to snap them speeding, unless they are going stupid quick then deploy spike strips instantly - thats how you slow people down and save lives WITHOUT cashing in. Not revenue raising my ****

[Wally]

Apparently the public will be able to tender to operate the vans for profit. How cool is that.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by brownie79

The theory is that you never know where they are so you slow down and obey the limits at all times, not really too difficult if you ask me.

And if the limits were appropriate for roads and traffic levels then that probably would not be a problem.

Unfortunately they are set by southern city based academic idiots who only ever see what happens in their city and think the whole of Australia is exactly the same.

The simple fact is:

IF THE SPEED LIMITS WERE APPROPRIATE THEN THERE WOULD NOT BE MANY MILLIONS OF SPEEDING FINES ISSUED.

Not really too difficult if you ask me.......

[ebxr82nv]

Originally Posted by Stefan

Man don't you wish you were a garbo truck driver.....just pick it up and try to empty it, rattle it around a bit, knock it over.

Or throw a large maccas drink (still full) into it while you walk past...

they only put the bin cameras out on non collection days so that this doesnt happen, unfortunatly :

[GT69]

Originally Posted by ebxr82nv

they only put the bin cameras out on non collection days so that this doesnt happen, unfortunatly :

Well get some underage kids to run past and grab them......do a runner with the bin and giggle about it.

I will be interested to see how much more the public will take of speed camera's in general. These hidden ones may well cause some additional issues with anyone who parks on the footpath....might come home to find your car has been smashed up because someone thought it was a speed camera car.

I play Hearts of Iron...in the game you have a dissent percentage. Make bad decisions and the dissent grows....I wonder what Australia's dissent would be currently....Or more importantly I wish modern people didn't have memories like bloody gold fish.

[Matt47569]

Fill the bin with concrete and wait for it to set

[Assassinbm]

Keep em coming Capt Bligh, the plank is nearing completion

[Interceptor]

technically, speed cameras do save lives...... put enough of the damn things out, eventually everyone will lose thier licences, and with nobody left on the roads, the government will triumphantly announce how speed cameras have eliminated road deaths.....

[388cube_edxr8]

Oh yeah because everybody knows that 100% of road accidents are caused by people doing 105km/h in a 100 zone.

I would like to predict that as soon as these are deployed, the number of speeding fines will go down, and the number of accidents will go up, purely and simply because people will drive along looking only at the speedo, and not at the road.

The last time the Qld govt made a good decision regarding the transport sector was... bloody hell I cant even think of one.

[ltd_on20s]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

technically, speed cameras do save lives...... put enough of the damn things out, eventually everyone will lose thier licences, and with nobody left on the roads, the government will triumphantly announce how speed cameras have eliminated road deaths.....

and then you will get fisted even more in the hip pocket in another way.

why you think they deploy so many camera's? CASH.

they don't care really about whether u live or die. they only pay lip service because if they do care, they would actually do something rather then just jam out new camera's


like-

uniform australian road rules

2 lane highways all they way from city to city.

concrete barriers ala europe

higher speeds on certain roads

better education

make pedestrians liable for their own stupidity eg- you get hit by a car while jaywalking, no govt help for you and you are liab;le for the cars damage, whether you are drunk or not.

raise speed tolerance levels to 9% of any given speed limit

release pictures of repeat drunk driver offenders, and bar them from even being able to own a car


etc.

its either do that, or people will take matters into tehir own hands with these camera's.

we will go down the path of england and europe.

they seem to fight back.

[My poor XF]

Originally Posted by ltd_on20s

they don't care really about whether u live or die. they only pay lip service because if they do care, they would actually do something rather then just jam out new camera's


like-

uniform australian road rules

2 lane highways all they way from city to city.

concrete barriers ala europe

higher speeds on certain roads

better education

make pedestrians liable for their own stupidity eg- you get hit by a car while jaywalking, no govt help for you and you are liab;le for the cars damage, whether you are drunk or not.

raise speed tolerance levels to 9% of any given speed limit

release pictures of repeat drunk driver offenders, and bar them from even being able to own a car


etc.

Now we can't have that. That's using common sense and we all know that disappeared a long time ago. And there is no money in people realising that speed won't kill them.

[Interceptor]

*sighs*

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sarcasm

yes people, i was taking the mickey......

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by flappist

And if the limits were appropriate for roads and traffic levels then that probably would not be a problem.

Unfortunately they are set by southern city based academic idiots who only ever see what happens in their city and think the whole of Australia is exactly the same.

The simple fact is:

IF THE SPEED LIMITS WERE APPROPRIATE THEN THERE WOULD NOT BE MANY MILLIONS OF SPEEDING FINES ISSUED.

Not really too difficult if you ask me.......

So then the coffers wouldnt be as full as they would be (even though they are just paying off debt for the state). I doubt they are going to change the limits so that this money isnt raised. But i do agree with you Flap that most of the limits arent really suitable in the area they are posted.

Anna you have 1 foot off the plank, its time to go.......