Q Police to extend speed cameras to suburban streets

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Police to extend speed cameras to suburban streets
Article from: The Sunday Mail (Qld)


By Darrell Giles

December 20, 2009 12:00am

SPEED cameras are coming to a suburb near you.

In an unprecedented move, police will extend speed camera operations into suburban streets as part of the State Government's two-year Road Safety Action Plan.

And they could be in unmarked vehicles with no warning signs.

Police have been able to use speed cameras only where the speed limit is 60km/h or above, with hand-held radar in sub-60km/h zones.

But Police Minister Neil Roberts said laws would be introduced early next year for secret speed-camera vehicles to park in streets with 50km/h and 40km/h limits.

He said the speed limit enforcement mantra for 2010-11 was Anywhere, Anytime. "All streets and roads must be as safe as we can make them. Far too many people are dying unnecessarily on our roads," he said.

"Speeding and rat-running through suburban streets is also a significant concern in many communities.

"Motorists will need to consider whether the vehicle or motorcycle they are speeding past is an unmarked police vehicle or if the vehicle parked in their suburban street is fitted with a speed camera."

The Sunday Mail revealed exclusively last week a raft of new measures to catch speedsters as part of the Government's road safety program.

There will be undercover speed-camera vehicles with no warning signs, point-to-point speed cameras, and digital speed/red light cameras.

The covert vehicles will be in a variety of models, makes, ages and colours.

Drink-driving would also be targeted, with alcohol ignition interlock devices.

Mr Roberts yesterday said the significant change in policy reflected concern at a road toll likely to top 340 this year.