Evaluation of the ACT Road Safety Camera Program

Like most jurisdictions, the road safety camera program forms a key element of the ACTs road safety strategy aimed at reducing road trauma through enforcing speed and red light compliance. This report presents the results of an evaluation of the ACT Road Safety Speed Camera Program up to the end of 2017. Analysis assesses the impact of the ACT’s mobile road safety camera program, point-to-point, and fixed single point mid-block speed cameras on reducing crashes and speed. It also presents the results of a survey to identify any changes in community attitudes towards speeding and enforcement by road safety cameras since the ACT Road Safety Camera Strategy was released in May 2015. Evaluation results showed that each type of road safety camera considered was associated with crash savings. Both the fixed spot mid-block speed cameras and the Hindmarsh Drive point-to-point camera system showed an average reduction in all reported crashes of 25%, translating to savings of 69 reported crashes annually and saving $1.3M annually in crash costs to the ACT community. On average, post implementation, the ACT mobile speed camera program was associated with a 19.7% reduction in crash risk. Estimated crash reductions have increased in the most recent year of evaluation in response to increased hours of mobile speed camera deployment, with a 22% crash reduction estimated for the most recent completed year considered in the analysis. This reduction translated to an estimated saving of over 3000 reported crashes, corresponded to savings in economic costs to the ACT community of over $60M. A survey of community attitudes to speeding and speed enforcement completed by 2,241 respondents showed a general lack of awareness of the recent increases in mobile camera enforcement in the ACT, although the majority of respondents felt that the current level of speed enforcement should be maintained (not increased nor decreased). Respondents were generally aware of the point-to-point camera in operation in the ACT and most could identify its specific location. The majority of respondents reported typically driving within the speed limit, or exceeding the limit very occasionally and that compared to 2 years ago their chances of speeding were either the same or less likely. An increased percentage of respondents acknowledged the relationship between speeding and crash risk although most supported police patrols for speed enforcement instead of cameras and did not support increased penalties for speeding. Based on the results of the crash outcome evaluation, a strategic model was constructed to estimate the potential road safety and economic benefits of further expansion of the ACT Road Safety Camera Program. Application of the model showed potential for significant additional road safety benefits through further expansion of the program, with expansion of the number of deployment hours of mobile speed cameras representing the most cost effective expansion option.