Mobile speed camera fines in the Illawarra have skyrocketed in some locations by as much as 6000 per cent since the state government decided to remove the warning signs for motorists.
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In November last year, Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance announced the warning signs would be removed, citing a similar policy with mobile phone detection cameras.
This is about changing culture and changing behaviour," Mr Constance said in November.
"We've seen it happen with our world-leading mobile phone detection program, where the rate of people offending has steadily declined.
"No warnings signs mean you can be caught anywhere, anytime and we want that same culture around mobile speed cameras."
December 2020 was the first full month the mobile speed cameras were in operation without the signage and some locations showed a marked jump in fines and revenue when compared to December 2019.
The mobile speed camera located at Rothery Street in Bellambi showed a huge leap.
In December 2019 just one speeding motorist was caught, copping a $121 fine.
December last year that figure shot up to 35 speeders, bringing in $8379 in revenue.
That's a 6824 per cent jump in revenue.
There are three mobile speed camera locations along Lawrence Hargrave Drive in the northern suburbs - at Austinmer, Coledale and Wombarra.
The combined figures for that road in December 2019 was five speeders for $764 while in December last year it climbed to 29 speeders totalling $4221 in fine revenue.
A camera on the Princes Highway at Albion Park Rail jumped from $1241 in fines to $7395, an increase of more than 400 per cent.
Not all locations showed a spike - revenue at Bellambi Lane actually dropped from $605 to $369 after the signage was removed.
A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said they were not surprised by the jump in speeding motorists.
"We expected to see an increase in people caught by mobile speed cameras as the removal of warning signage and other changes are rolled out across the network," the spokeswoman said.
"The increased number of people caught supports what we have been saying and what the statistics show - speeding is the leading cause of death and trauma on NSW roads and has been increasingly problematic over the last year during the pandemic."
She said the figures weren't expected to remain high.
"We expect to see numbers stabilise and decrease once the full changes to the speed camera program are implemented over the next year," the spokeswoman said.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
