NSW to reinstate speed camera warning signs following public backlash

New South Wales authorities have reversed a decision to remove mobile speed camera warning signs after accusations of revenue raising.

However, the victory for motorists will still come at a price – with drivers having less of a chance to adjust their speed than before.

Rather than the warning sign being set some distance behind where the camera is located, it will now be placed on the roof of the vehicle containing the speed camera equipment.

The NSW Government has been under pressure since its decision to remove the warning signs a year ago, with revenue from speeding fines increasing dramatically compared with previous years.

Former NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay made the ruling to banish the signs, but last month came out in support of restoring the warnings.

“I believe it is a wrong decision, it is not the decision I made on the evidence that was before me at the time, but I believe they have made it in good faith with the advice they’ve had at hand,” Mr Gay said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

“The speed cameras are important, but they shouldn’t be there for entrapment. They should be there for safety reasons.”

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Above: An example of a mobile speed camera warning sign before they were removed in 2020. Source: Wikipedia.

According to the ABC, NSW drivers copped $40 million in speeding fines over the past 12 months – compared with less than $15 million issued in the previous five years before the signs were removed.

The State Government maintains the sign removal was done to boost road safety, but NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Roads Paul Toole this week conceded the reintroduction was about listening to the public and finding the right balance.

“Starting in February, there'll be a blue and white sign on the top of each mobile speed car – the same as what we see in the ACT,” Mr Toole said at the announcement.

“These signs will be large enough and obvious enough that anyone paying attention on our roads should see them in time to adjust their behaviour. This is about saving lives and reducing the road toll.”

The announcement comes three months after the NSW Government announced it would introduce a thousand generic speed camera warning signs.