Benefits of mobile point-to-point safety cameras in rural South Australia

Abstract

The link between vehicle travel speeds and the likelihood of crashes and crash severity are well established. Speed enforcement in rural areas can be difficult due to the expanse of the road network and the limited resources available. Average speed enforcement has proven effective for improving compliance and safety along routes where it is used. Where fixed P2P enforcement is limited to the roads on which it is used, the advent of mobile average speed enforcement technology has the potential to provide more substantial and sustained enforcement activity across the rural road network. The effects of mobile P2P can be expected to be similar to fixed P2P provided they are deployed in a similar fashion (i.e., enforce all lanes and directions of travel, include signage advising drivers), although the magnitude can be expected to be lower due to lower enforcement times. Surveys of automated speed enforcement device manufacturers identified the mobile speed and P2P capabilities currently available. Four options for undertaking mobile P2P were developed based on the survey which were used to identify the potential resources needed to undertake this type of enforcement. Discussions with representatives from DIT and SAPOL identified the potential impact of introducing mobile P2P on current resources. The impact on police resources will vary depending on the method of deployment but in each instance are influenced by the type and number of devices, personnel, and back-end data processing and storage. while the capabilities exist, it is important to trial and evaluate the technology to ensure they are both feasible and effective methods of enforcement. The introduction of automated mobile P2P speed enforcement devices with the capability to address multiple problem behaviours has the potential to improve road safety in rural areas.