Just months after it was installed, a Dapto red-light speed camera has issued more than half a million dollars in fines.
The camera, at the Princes Highway-Moombara Street intersection, was installed in late August last year.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said the camera was installed due to the intersection's crash history.
Between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2020, there were 12 crashes at this location, resulting in nine injuries, four of which were serious.
For the first month after the camera's installation, warning notices were sent out to drivers.
"Any new red-light speed camera on the network has a minimum of a 31-day warning letter period, during which time motorists that are caught speeding or red-light running are sent a warning letter to encourage them to change their behaviour, unless they exceed the speed limit by more than 30km/h, where a court attendance notice is issued and drivers face significant penalties," said Deputy Secretary for Safety, Environment and Regulation Sally Webb.
"After the warning letter period concludes, the camera begins issuing fines for all offences."
From October last year, the camera began issuing fines.
From that month through to April, 3505 drivers were caught speeding through the intersection - the total amount of those fines was $565,705.
The camera also detected motorists running a red light - issuing 273 fines in that time worth $150,553.
All-up, in the seven months since October, $716,258 in fines have been issued.
The number of fines for the first three months was high, with January's 730 being the peak. Since then the trend has been downwards, with 433 for April.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said it was common for fine levels to start off high when the camera is activated, then fall quickly as motorists adjust their behaviour.
It was expected that the number of fines issued by the camera would continue to decline over time.
Ms Webb said reviews of cameras found them to be effective in improving safety.
"Red-light speed cameras dramatically reduce the number of serious crashes on our roads," she said.
"The most recent NSW speed camera review found fatal and serious injury crashes fell by 35 per cent at red-light speed camera locations, and pedestrian casualties fell by almost 60 per cent."
She added that all speed camera revenue went into the Community Road Safety Fund, which is responsible for road safety measures like flashing lights for schools, engineering works, enhanced enforcement by the NSW Police Force, and public education campaigns.
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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.
