Fixed Red Light/Speed Cameras

Purpose

About 15% of road casualties in the ACT, involving around 65 people a year, occur at traffic lights, often as a result of motorists running red lights.

Red light cameras are one way to address the issue of right angle crashes at signalised intersections. The ACT Road Safety Strategy notes that right angle collisions are the most frequent crash type in terms of severity.

The ACT began introducing red light cameras in December 2000.

The cameras used for the ACT are capable of detecting both red light and speeding offences, and are designed to operate 24 hours a day in all lighting conditions.

Site Selection

The cameras have been progressively introduced at intersections with a history of serious crashes, which has been a key criterion for selecting red light camera locations.

Red light camera trials in Canberra found there was also a high incidence of speeding through traffic lights. Some vehicles were detected both speeding and running red lights at the same time.

Interstate experience shows that red light cameras typically reduce the number of serious right-angle crashes by about 40%. Speed cameras have also proved to be an effective deterrent to speeding.

Sites for red light cameras were selected on the following basis:

• Review of crash rankings of signalised intersections, with particular consideration of crash types (type 1 and 2 - right angle) that result from red light running.
• Review of operation of priority sites, to see if other operational requirements can be improved (phasing, right turn arrows etc).
• Determination of the engineering feasibility of camera installation (road condition, number of lanes, width of median etc), and if feasible, the most beneficial approach and lanes to monitor with the camera.

Traffic signal controllers will be modified to gather actual red light running information, and this is being investigated as an option for future site selection.

Operational Issues

The cameras used in the ACT are fully-automated, all-digital systems incorporating the most sophisticated technology of its type.

Sensors embedded in the road detect the presence of vehicles at the intersection. If a vehicle proceeds against a red light, a signal is sent to the camera, which then takes a series of colour photographs of its passage through the intersection. The vehicle is identified by its number plate.

The same system also calculates the speed of vehicles at the intersection and activates the camera if the pre-set limit is exceeded. This occurs regardless of whether the traffic lights are green, red or amber.

The system is able to detect red light and speeding offences that occur simultaneously. Vehicles that are speeding and running red lights at the same time can incur infringement notices for both offences.

The images and infringement details, including the time and location, are digitally recorded on a disk or another storage medium for electronic data (a recording medium).

The amber light is a warning that the traffic signal is about to turn red and you must stop unless you are too close to the intersection to pull up safely. There is no need for panic braking, which could result in someone running into the back of your vehicle, or for accelerating over the speed limit.

Motorists are reminded that they are required to maintain a sufficient distance from the vehicle ahead to enable them to avoid a collision should it stop unexpectedly.
Road safety experts recommend you keep a gap of at least three seconds between your vehicle and the one in front.

Note: Rule 56 of the Australian Road Rules requires the driver of a vehicle approaching a red traffic light to stop as near as practicable to, but before, reaching the stop line. Rule 59 makes it an offence for a vehicle to enter an intersection or a marked foot crossing when a traffic light is red, while Rule 60 makes it an offence to enter an intersection contrary to a red turning arrow.  A vehicle “enters” an intersection or crossing as soon is any part of the vehicle is inside the intersection or crossing. A motorist may commit an offence even if the vehicle does not go all the way through the intersection while the light is red.

In the ACT, red light cameras are programmed to detect breaches of Rules 59 and 60 (these are the rules about entering an intersection or marked foot crossing against a red traffic signal). The red light cameras are triggered when a vehicle crosses or comes to rest on the last of a series of sensors set into in the road surface, after a light has turned red. By the time a vehicle activates the camera, the front of the vehicle will be around 3 metres past the stop line, well into the marked foot crossing or the intersection.

It is important for motorists to stop before the stop line as marked foot crossings are located past the stop line. Failing to stop before the line increases the risk of a crash with a pedestrian or another vehicle, and may force passing pedestrians and cyclists out of their safety zone towards the passing traffic stream.

Road Works

Fixed cameras will operate during road works but will not take images of motorists at speeds lower than the usual speed limit for that section of road. Red light images are captured irrespective of speed reductions or road works. Speed reductions due to road works will be enforced by police interception methods.

Speed Camera Signage

Large signs displaying the message "Speed and Red Light Cameras used in the ACT" are at the border on all major entry roads to the ACT. Further to this, there are some 41 signs on the major arterial roads which carry signs consisting of a “Speed Cameras used in the ACT” with a camera image. These are normally paired with a “50 unless otherwise posted” sign.

Advance warning signage advises motorists where cameras are in operation. These consist of signs reading “Red light and speed camera ahead” on all roads approaching a red light speed camera.

Locations

Cameras have so far been installed at the following intersections:

• Northbourne Avenue, Barry Drive and Cooyong Street, Civic
• Drakeford Drive and Marconi Crescent, Kambah
• Ginninderra Drive and Coulter Drive, Belconnen
• Ginninderra Drive and Aikman Drive, Belconnen
• Barry Drive and Marcus Clarke Street, Civic
• Hindmarsh Drive/Tuggeranong Parkway, Woden
• Hindmarsh Drive/Yamba Drive, Woden
• Northbourne Avenue/Mouat Street/Antill Street, Dickson
• Northbourne Avenue/London Circuit, Civic
• Hindmarsh Drive/Ball Street, Woden
• Canberra Avenue/Hindmarsh Drive, Fyshwick
• Gungahlin Drive/Gundaroo Road, Gungahlin
• Canberra Avenue/Captain Cook Crescent, Manuka Circle

FAQ & Previous Ministerial releases:

No recent releases