Safety cameras

For technical safety camera enquiries use the Contact us form, phone 131 782 or write to Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority), PO Box 973, Parramatta CBD NSW 2124.

For all safety camera infringement enquiries or copies of infringement images phone the State Debt Recovery Office on 1300 138 118 or visit their website www.sdro.nsw.gov.au.

Safety cameras are being introduced to make intersections safer by enforcing both speeding and red-light offences. 

Safety cameras are gradually replacing the current outdated wet-film red-light cameras that began operating in 1988, and use digital technology that is capable of detecting both red-light and speeding offences. Safety cameras will be installed at 200 locations in NSW by July 2012.

How do safety cameras improve road safety?

Safety cameras enforce both red-light and speeding offences and improve the safety of intersections by deterring drivers from both running red-lights and speeding.

Crashes at intersection are particularly severe because they often involve a driver running a red-light resulting in a t-bone collision where the front of one vehicle collides with the relatively unprotected side of another vehicle.

Studies show that these side impact crashes are only survivable at much lower speeds than frontal crashes meaning that controlling speed at intersections is critical.

The addition of speed enforcement also addresses the risk of people speeding up to get through the light and safety cameras encourage motorists to always drive within the speed limit, reducing the need to brake heavily on approach to an intersection.

Reductions in vehicle speeds at intersections will also significantly reduce the outcomes for pedestrians in the event of a crash. 

Evaluations of red-light camera enforcement in Australia and overseas have also shown this type of enforcement is clearly effective in reducing casualty crashes at intersections.  Red light cameras alone have been shown to reduce casualty crashes at intersections by around 30 percent, with speed enforcement providing a further road safety benefit by reducing both the risk and severity of a crash (Retting, RA, Ferguson SA, Hakkert AS, 2003, Effects of Red-Light Cameras on Violations and Crashes: A Review of the International Literature, traffic Injury Prevention, 4:17-23).

Intersection crashes are even more critical when speed is involved. Speeding increases the risk of a crash and the severity of the crash outcome. The risk of causing death or injury in an urban 60km/h speed zone increases rapidly even with relatively small increases in speed. At 70km/h, the casualty crash risk is more than fourt imes the risk that at 60km/h.

In NSW in 2009, there were 17 fatalities and 4255 injuries at intesections with traffic lights. In addition to the trauma caused to the victims of these crashes, the estimated cost to the community of signalised intersection crashes was around $44 million in 2009.

How are safety cameras sites selected?

Safety cameras are being installed at sites which meet specific criteria.  These criteria are based on the number of crashes and cost to the community of crashes at a location. This ensures safety cameras are installed at intersections that need them the most.

Penalties and the law

There will be no new offences or penalties for speeding, running a red-light or speeding through a red-light. Driver who commit a red-light or red arrow offence will receive the current penalties for these offences. Drivers who commit a speeding offence will recieve the relevant speeding penalty.

All intersections with safety cameras installed are signposted with the new safety camera sign.

Further details about the law relating to offences at traffic lights can be found in Part 6, Traffic lights, traffic arrows and twin red lights of theRoad Rules 2008.

Speeding and traffic light offences attract both fines and demerit points. High level speeding can also result in licence suspension.