State's major speed camera move reflects growing trend across Australia
This week, it was revealed that during a recent trial of new automatic speed cameras on the Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, more than 700 drivers were caught speeding each week.
The Sensys Gatso monitoring systems, introduced in February, replaced outdated 1990s-era cameras that were decommissioned in 2022–23, with data from the Tasmanian Department of State Growth highlighting the stark difference in enforcement.
While the old cameras detected just 624 speeding drivers in 2020–21 and 458 in 2021–22, the new system is identifying more than 700 weekly offenders. A State Growth spokesperson said the upgrade enhances enforcement efforts. "The new technology will detect speeding vehicles in all bridge lanes and multiple vehicles at once, making them a strong speeding deterrent," they said.
With the testing phase now complete, the new automatic speed cameras on the Tasman Bridge are fully operational. "The testing phase has now ended and any suspected offences will be reviewed by suitably trained staff within the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management," the spokesperson said.
State Growth said the upgraded technology also enables motorists who receive infringement notices to view images and videos of their alleged offences via the road user portal — mirroring efforts in other jurisdictions around the country.
Sensys Gatso is responsible for 16 mobile speed cameras across Tasmania, which have detected 60,000 traffic infringements in the past year alone.
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While speed cameras remain a contentious issue among drivers, road safety experts and authorities maintain they are an effective deterrent. Critics argue cameras are primarily revenue-raising tools, but research consistently shows they lead to lower average speeds and fewer serious accidents.
In NSW, it was announced this week that average speed cameras, which previously only monitored heavy vehicles, will begin detecting all drivers in a trial from May 1 at two locations. The shift aligns NSW with other states that already use the technology for all motorists, following global studies showing average speed enforcement significantly reduces crashes.
In Victoria, mobile speed cameras have been expanded in both number and operational hours, while Queensland recently introduced AI-equipped cameras to detect mobile phone use and seatbelt offences.
Western Australia at the end of last year heralded the rollout of six new mobile cameras across the state, and it was later revealed a tender is out for four new 'smart cameras' for Perth freeways.
Once in place, motorists will face one of the most camera-concentrated stretches of road in the nation as WA ramps up its Road Safety Strategy after recording it's highest road toll in 10 years in 2024, when 190 people lost their lives.
Despite public debate, road safety bodies point to statistics demonstrating the effectiveness of automated enforcement. The NSW government cites a 40 per cent reduction in fatal crashes in areas with average speed cameras, while studies in other states show fixed and mobile cameras contribute to significant decreases in serious injuries.
As speed remains one of the leading causes of road fatalities, authorities argue that these technological upgrades are necessary to curb dangerous driving and prevent further loss of life.
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