The NSW Government should urgently consider applying point-to-point speed camera checks to all vehicles, the Chair of the Australian Trucking Association, Noelene Watson said today.

Mrs Watson said the current point-to-point camera monitoring program was not being used in the most effective way to improve road safety.

“The principal aim of installing point-to-point speed cameras is to improve road safety for all, yet NSW remains the only state that does not apply this technology on cars as well as trucks,” Mrs Watson said.

“The current system only targets drivers of heavy vehicles when the bulk of the traffic in NSW comes from drivers of cars”

“Independent research and statistical evidence shows more than eighty percent of fatal multi-vehicle crashes that involve heavy vehicles, are the fault of the other driver.”

Mrs Watson asked what kind of safety message was being communicated to the other motorists if only heavy vehicle drivers were targeted on the roads.

“The ATA believes the most effective implementation for this technology would be to expand the point-to-point speed checking program to target every motorist for not complying with the posted speed limits,” Mrs Watson said.

“Applying the point-to-point speed checks to all motor vehicles could potentially lift road safety for vulnerable road users such as motor cyclists, pedestrians and cyclists too.”

The ATA made the call after writing to NSW Premier Mike Baird proposing the extension of the checks. Mrs Watson is meeting with transport Ministers in Perth today, where road safety is on the agenda.

“We believe that the general public will accept the extension of this technology because it is about saving lives and not merely collecting revenue,” she said.

About the ATA:

The ATA is the peak body that represents trucking operators. The ATA’s members include major logistics companies, transport industry associations and businesses with leading expertise in truck technology. The ATA was established to improve the trucking industry’s safety, professionalism and viability after the Grafton truck and bus crash in October 1989. The accident claimed 21 lives and was the worst accident in Australian road transport history at the time. The ATA exists with its core values to strive for a safe, professional and viable trucking industry.