News Article: Aussie Speed Cameras To Become Surveillance Devices

[Ehtyar]

As if speed cameras in this country weren't already a spectacular indicator of our government's disregard for the rights of its citizens, the state and federal government want all fixed a mobile speed cameras to take photos of all passing vehicles clear enough for positive ID of the occupants. Can anyone say "surveillance society"?

State and federal police forces want full-frontal images of vehicles, including the driver and front passenger, that are clear enough for identification purposes and usable as evidence in court.

"All vehicles passing through a fixed or mobile ANPR camera will have the data recorded and available for interrogation," CrimTrac told the Queensland TravelSafe inquiry into the use of ANPR for road safety.

Full Story

Ehtyar.

[4wd]

As if speed cameras in this country weren't already a spectacular indicator of our government's disregard for the rights of its citizens, the state and federal government want all fixed a mobile speed cameras to take photos of all passing vehicles clear enough for positive ID of the occupants. Can anyone say "surveillance society"?

-Ehtyar (September 24, 2008, 07:20 PM)

Apart from saying how is this different from the CCTV cameras that infest city centres, what rights are being infringed by the use of speed cameras?

[Ehtyar]

In my opinion, the use of these speed cameras despite repeated cases of fault, and irrefutable proof that they are not accurate, coupled with the increasing difficulty in which the fines issued by them can be fought, their use is a blatant perversion of the course of justice. A quick Google will get you this, this and this, with plenty more where they came from.

Ehtyar.

[Target]

hardly a perversion of justice, more like another example of a poorly executed response to a perceived problem that is typical of most governments.

[4wd]

In my opinion, the use of these speed cameras despite repeated cases of fault, and irrefutable proof that they are not accurate, coupled with the increasing difficulty in which the fines issued by them can be fought, their use is a blatant perversion of the course of justice. A quick Google will get you this, this and this, with plenty more where they came from.

-Ehtyar (September 25, 2008, 12:59 AM)

Actually, those stories you point to describe the operation of the camera and/or the interpretation of the picture as being at fault, not the speed camera itself.

I'm not saying they're a good/bad idea just that people tend to focus on the camera itself being at fault rather than the operation/interpretation/location of it.

eg. Victoria's zero tolerance speed limit is just plain wrong when ADR 18 specifies a +/-10% tolerance for speedometers.

hardly a perversion of justice, more like another example of a poorly executed response to a perceived problem that is typical of most governments.

-Target (September 25, 2008, 01:04 AM)

Australian governments, (both Federal and State), have demonstrated their preference for knee-jerk reaction rather than rational thought.

[Ehtyar]

Indeed you are correct, I should have read the articles in full prior to posting them. However, it seems to me that these are articles raise an even more poignant point in relation to this article. If the authorities in this country are incapable of appropriately handling speed camera images correctly, one can only imagine what sort of misappropriation/misinterpretation may occur when 70 million photos per day must be handled/stored.

Ehtyar.

[Fred Nerd]

I'm just hopeing that,as usual, beaurocracy will win: we'll have all the photos, and not be able to do anything with them.
Interestingly, it was our local cop's wife who got caught when driving home with a group of friends, the interesting part was they must have been under a few drinks, because she claimed in court that they couldn't remember who was driving so it was unfair to fine anyone in particular.

She was let off because she had made an honest attempt to find out, and couldn't......

This is gossip, so I'm not sure of its accuracy, but it sounds right.