The Road Safety Camera Program is an integral part of the commitment Victoria Police have made to road safety.
Victoria Police aims to provide a safe environment for all road users.
Speed contributes to approximately one third of Victorian road trauma; this equates to approximately 100 deaths and 2,000 serious injuries. Even small increases in vehicle speed can significantly impact on the risk of a driver having a crash. Speed management is, therefore, critical in keeping our roads safe and in reducing road trauma.
Drivers travelling at 65km/h in a 60km/h zone double their risk of being in a crash. The risk increases even more at higher speeds.
Speed cameras / red light cameras have reduced injury crashes by up to 47 per cent at Victorian intersections.
Even if the primary cause of a crash is not speed, a crash in a slower vehicle will be less severe. Your chances of surviving and avoiding injury are greater the slower you are driving.
For every one percent reduction in average speed, there is on average a three percent reduction in casualty crashes. These findings underpinned the Transport Accident Commission's 'Wipe off 5' campaign.
Speed cameras save lives
Speed cameras are one of the most effective tools in the fight against deaths and injuries from collisions. There are three types of speed camera systems – fixed, mobile and point to point.
Mobile speed cameras can be located in response to high risk areas of road trauma, excessive speed complaints or identified areas where speeding is an issue to enforce speed limits.
Fixed safety cameras are placed at signaled intersections and can detect both speed and red-light offences.
A point to point camera system is used on the Hume Highway and Peninsula Link and it measures average speeds over distance.
Red light cameras
Red light cameras have been operating in Victoria since 1983. Cameras currently operate in metropolitan Melbourne and designated country areas. Twenty per cent of all casualty collisions occur at major intersections in metropolitan areas, most of which have traffic signals.
There are currently over 246 speed cameras and 175 red light cameras operating throughout Victoria. The aim of speed and red light cameras is to change driver behavior. Since being introduced, road safety cameras have contributed to a significant decrease in the number of fatal and serious injuries on Victoria's roads.
Speed: the biggest killer on our roads
Road safety cameras are only one tool in the fight against the road toll. Victoria Police has more officers than ever before carry out additional speed enforcement measures using mobile radar laser equipment, high-visibility patrol cars and unmarked vehicles patrol streets, roads and highways to enforce speed limits and help save lives.
More information about the Safety Camera Programs, locations, statistics and policies can be found on these websites:
Reviewed 03 November 2022