SA’s red light cameras rake in $18 million
Red-light runners in South Australia coughed up more than $18 million in fines during the last financial year, and the revenue is filling state government coffers instead of being put towards road safety.
RAA is calling for the money generated from red light cameras to be invested in road infrastructure as part of the state government’s ongoing review into the safety network. Red-light camera fines surged in 2017-18 to almost 40,000, generating a $4 million increase compared to the previous year.
The $18 million raised from red-light camera fines in 2017-18 brought the total for the past six years to $95 million. Unlike proceeds from speeding fines, not all red light camera revenue is allocated to improving road infrastructure.RAA Senior Manager for Road Safety Charles Mountain urged the state government to use the money to help improve road safety, saying the millions of dollars generated by the devices – when invested in improved roads and infrastructure – can significantly reduce road trauma. “The $18.13 million in red-light fines levied last financial year is three times as much as the $5.47 million spent on black spot funding in SA by the federal government during the same period,” Mr Mountain said. “The state government should invest that revenue into improving safety for SA road users.”
The top red-light camera spots
RAA’s breakdown of latest police figures reveal the top spot for red-light camera fines is at the intersection of Grand Junction Rd and Main North Rd, with 2723 offences raking in more than a million dollars. The safety device at the Greenhill Rd and Anzac Hwy intersection generated $1,028,724 from a total of 2267 red-light fines.
Intersections at Grand Junction and Port Wakefield Rd, Anzac Hwy and Morphett Rd, and Grand Junction and Hanson Rd rounded out the top five locations for red-light cameras.
Mr Mountain said the state government should investigate why so many motorists were being caught running red lights at these locations.
“The operation of these intersections should be reviewed to see if there are other factors such as signal timing or layout contributing to so many red-light fines being issued,” Mr Mountain said.