{"id":102685,"date":"2025-03-22T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T23:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/?p=102685"},"modified":"2025-03-22T09:40:17","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T22:40:17","slug":"speed-camera-rules-target-drivers-may-fines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/speed-camera-rules-target-drivers-may-fines\/","title":{"rendered":"New Speed Camera Rules to Target All Drivers from May \u2013 Warnings and Fines Incoming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Drivers in New South Wales are being warned about a major enforcement change as average speed cameras<\/strong>, once limited to heavy vehicles<\/strong>, will soon monitor all motorists<\/strong>. As reported by Yahoo News Australia<\/em><\/a>, from May 1<\/strong>, point-to-point cameras along parts of the Pacific Highway<\/strong> and Hume Highway<\/strong> will begin tracking light vehicles for the first time\u2014marking a shift aimed at reducing the state\u2019s rising road death toll<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the Change? Rising Road Deaths and Expanded Enforcement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Until now, average speed cameras in NSW <\/a>were used solely for monitoring heavy vehicles, but recent data has prompted a significant policy shift. Between 2018 and 2022<\/strong>, nearly 80% of fatalities and serious injuries<\/strong> in average speed camera zones involved non-heavy vehicles<\/strong>, highlighting the need for wider enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This policy update is part of a broader road safety initiative<\/strong>, responding to a surge in national fatalities. 2024 was the deadliest year on Australian roads in more than a decade, with 1,300 lives lost<\/strong>, up from 1,258 in 2023. Experts have pointed out that this increase cannot be explained by population growth alone<\/strong>, as the death rate per 100,000 people<\/strong> has been climbing consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Average Speed Cameras Work\u2014and What to Expect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Average speed cameras differ from traditional speed traps by measuring a vehicle\u2019s speed over a set distance<\/strong>, rather than at a single point. By recording the time a vehicle passes two fixed points, the system calculates its average speed<\/strong>, issuing a penalty if the legal limit is exceeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From May 1 to July 1<\/strong>, the system will operate in trial mode<\/strong>, with warning letters<\/strong> sent to speeding drivers. After the trial period, enforcement begins with fines and demerit points<\/strong> issued to violators. Penalties for light vehicle drivers can reach $3,300<\/strong>, while heavy vehicle drivers may face fines up to $5,500 and six-month licence disqualifications for the most serious offences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government Response and Road Safety Messaging<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NSW Minister for Roads John Graham<\/strong> confirmed that the new rules will be introduced alongside a robust public awareness campaign:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“We know that speed remains our biggest killer on the road, contributing to 41 per cent of all fatalities over the past decade. We know the trial will be a change for motorists in NSW, so it will be supported by community and stakeholder communications. All average speed camera locations have warning signs installed.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Government officials argue that expanding enforcement beyond heavy vehicles will lead to fewer high-speed crashes<\/strong>, particularly on major regional highways where fatalities are most common. Graham noted that global research consistently links average speed enforcement<\/strong> with reduced crash-related injuries and deaths<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where the Changes Are Happening First<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first two affected locations are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Pacific Highway<\/strong> between Kew and Lake Innes<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Hume Highway<\/strong> between Coolac and Gundagai<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    These corridors have a history of frequent crashes, and authorities hope this move will discourage prolonged speeding on high-risk routes. The phased introduction will allow time for public adjustment<\/strong>, with clear warning signs<\/strong> already in place at camera sites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Drivers are being warned about a major speed camera change rolling out in weeks\u2014one that could catch far more motorists than expected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":102686,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102685"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102688,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102685\/revisions\/102688"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}