The Safe-T-Cam Program is an Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) initiative that aims to reduce the risk associated with heavy vehicle driver fatigue in an effort to prevent heavy vehicle accidents.
The Safe-T-Cam system is an automated monitoring system that uses digital camera technology to read heavy vehicles’ number plates to enable RMS to monitor heavy vehicle movements.
Safe-T-Cam detects and provides data on heavy vehicle incidents relating to:
- Driver fatigue.
- Registration.
- Fail to enter Heavy Vehicle Checking Station.
Program objectives
The broad objectives of the Safe-T-Cam Program are to:
- Improve road safety by reducing the incidence of heavy vehicle crashes and changing driver and operator behaviour in relation to travel time (driver fatigue).
- Promote compliance with enforcement systems by detecting incidents of heavy vehicle avoidance behaviours.
- Identify unregistered heavy vehicles operating on NSW roads and enforce vehicle registration regulations.
- Improve the efficiency of RMS’ enforcement strategies by establishing improved intelligence of vehicle movements.
- Improve traffic management by generating accurate information on heavy vehicle movements throughout NSW.
Enforcement program
RMS Heavy Vehicle enforcement program includes:
- Approximately 280 heavy vehicle regulation inspectors.
- In excess of 100 cars fitted with in-car technology which allows inspectors to use risk based methodology during intercepts for RMS heavy vehicle checks to ensure compliance with relevant road legislation.
- 8 heavy vehicle checking stations located at:
Mt White (northbound and southbound on the F3 freeway)
Mt Boyce (Great Western Highway)
Marulan (northbound and southbound on the Hume Highway)
Bell (Bells Line of Road)
Kankool (New England Highway)
Chinderah (Pacific Highway)
Pine Creek (Pacific Highway)
Twelve Mile Creek (Pacific Highway) - 27 Safe-T-Cam cameras at 24 locations in NSW linked with 13 Safe-T-Cam sites in South Australia.
- Approximately 200 fixed roadside inspection sites.
The Safe-T-Cam network
The Safe-T-Cam network consists of 24 Safe-T-Cam sites located on major routes throughout NSW, clearly marked with road-side signage. The network monitors heavy vehicle travel times, registration status and detects vehicles that fail to enter heavy vehicle checking stations for compliance checks.
Heavy vehicle checking stations
Safe-T-Cam is used to assist inspectors at heavy vehicle checking stations to verify drivers’ work diaries against heavy vehicle travel times and to detect heavy vehicles that fail to enter for a required compliance check.
Vehicle regulation inspectors
In excess of 100 RMS enforcement vehicles now have in-car technology. These in-car computers provide RMS vehicle inspectors with the ability to query licence and registration details and view Safe-T-Cam images and data at the roadside.
Inspectors can check NSW licences and registration data through RMS database, and also check interstate licences and registrations through NEVDIS (National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System).
RMS enforcement vehicles have the capacity to enable inspectors to input vehicle sightings into the Safe-T-Cam system, thereby expanding the network of Safe-T-Cam sites and associated monitoring.
Managing heavy vehicle fatigue
Fatigue is a major contributing factor in heavy vehicle accidents.
Safe-T-Cam continues to assist RMS in building profiles of heavy vehicle operators and drivers, and provides valuable information on the incidence of fatigue on major transports routes throughout NSW.
Obligations, responsibilities and requirements
- Drivers are legally obligated to tell their employers if their journey requires them to exceed permitted fatigue management obligations under current legislation.
- It is an offence for an employer or any person to cause or permit a breach of legislation, and they may be guilty of an offence, not just the driver.
- It is a requirement to ensure that drivers provide copies of their work diary records to their operator or record keeper within 21 days. The maximum penalty for failing to comply is in excess of $1500.
- It is a requirement to ensure that operators obtain copies of a driver’s work diary records and keep them for 3 years. The maximum penalty for failing to comply is in excess of $8000.
- RMS may issue to an operator a Notice to Produce, including requests for work diary records. The maximum penalty for failing to comply is in excess of $2000.
What is a heavy vehicle?
A heavy vehicle is defined as a motor vehicle or trailer that has a GVM greater than 4.5 tonnes, and includes: a special purpose vehicle that has such a GVM, and a passenger-carrying vehicle that has such a GVM.
What speed limit applies to heavy vehicles?
The maximum speed limit for a heavy vehicle in NSW is 100 km/h.
More information
For more information about Safe-T-Cam phone 1300 364 847.