Sydney Harbour Tunnel
In 1997, the Sydney Harbour Tunnel was the first site in NSW to have a fixed speed camera installation. These cameras were installed to deter drivers who deliberately travelled at high speeds through the tunnel.
Speed surveys revealed that 30 per cent of drivers were exceeding the speed limit by 20km/h or more. The highest speed recorded was 199km/h. It was also difficult to police speeding in the tunnel through conventional means.
After the cameras were installed, the percentage of vehicles speeding by more than 10km/h dropped from 63 per cent to less than one per cent.
The Pacific Highway
On 1 April 1999, two additional fixed speed cameras commenced operation, 1.6km apart within a remote five kilometre 'black length' section of the Pacific Highway that passes over the Burringbar Range between Burringbar and Murwillumbah.
This section had one of the worst crash records on the Pacific Highway. In the five year period from 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1999, on this 5 km section of the Pacific Highway there were a total of 176 crashes. These included three fatal crashes resulting in 6 deaths and 51 injury crashes resulting in 72 people being injured. Of the 176 crashes on this black length, 81 per cent were speed-related. Speed was a factor in all of the fatal crashes.
The economic cost of these crashes to the community was $7,665,400.
Legislation
In late 1999, legislation was passed to permit fixed digital speed cameras to operate in NSW under the Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Act 1999.
The legislation was approved by parliament and proclaimed by the Governor of NSW, Sir Gordon Samuels, on 22 December 1999. This legislation became law in NSW on 24 December 1999.
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