Types of speed cameras and red light cameras

Speeding and disobeying red lights are major causes of road crashes.

Driving through a red traffic light increases your chances of crashing into a pedestrian or vehicle that has started moving through the intersection from a different direction.

Disobeying a red traffic light can result in a right-angle road crash. These types of road crashes are a hazard for vehicle occupants because the:

• sides of vehicles have less protection to absorb the impact force compared to the front and rear of the vehicle
• hit vehicle can potentially spin out of control or roll over resulting in subsequent road crashes and injuries.

Speeding is a major cause of fatalities on Queensland roads. Speed limits are set in Queensland after a detailed engineering assessment, set out in strict guidelines for consistency and credibility. Read more about the speed limit setting process and assessment at the QRSTUV: Guide to Speed Management.  Ultimately, speed limits are set to keep everyone safe at the maximum allowable travelling speed in good conditions. When motorists exceed the speed limit, they risk the safety of themselves and those around them.

The only reason we use speed cameras is to reduce the risk and severity of road crashes by deterring motorists from choosing this dangerous driving behaviour. To support this, we use different types of speed cameras across the road network to achieve anywhere, anytime speed enforcement.

Different kinds of speed cameras are better suited to different kinds of enforcement and so we use a diverse range of technologies to best suit the road environment, traffic conditions and nature of crashes.

Read more on where we use money from speed and red light camera fines.

Mobile speed cameras

There are up to 3,500 mobile speed camera sites throughout Queensland. We select sites using strict criteria, including assessing speed-related crash history. Other reasons to establish a mobile speed camera site include a known high-risk of speeding in school zones or at roadwork sites where the road workers' health and safety may be at risk.

Over 90 per cent of the crashes saved each year by road safety cameras are attributed to mobile speed cameras. This is because the number of sites and randomised scheduling of deployments makes it unpredictable for motorists about when and where speeds will be enforced.

This creates the sense of unpredictability for motorists that cameras can be expected anywhere at any time, even in places where they have not seen a camera before. This is called 'general deterrence'.

Camera site selections are based on crash history and approved by regionally based Speed Management Advisory Committees. These committees are made up of representatives from the Queensland Police Service, Department of Transport and Main Roads, RACQ and local governments.

We use 2 types of mobile speed cameras in Queensland at approved sites:

• Mobile speed cameras—vehicles fitted with speed camera equipment which can park on the side of the road to monitor the speed of passing traffic.
• Hand-held speed camera devices—used on the side of the road by police officers and can also be set up on a tripod.

Police officers operating mobile speed cameras from vehicles and police officers with hand-held speed cameras can position themselves at these sites at any time of day or night, on any day of the year. Police officers can operate mobile speed cameras from marked and unmarked vehicles, in uniform or plain clothes, at approved sites.

View the list of mobile speed camera sites.

Fixed speed cameras

Fixed speed cameras are cameras that we permanently install on roads or at intersections throughout Queensland. Fixed speed cameras are placed at high crash locations or on known high risk roads to encourage road users to follow the signed speed limit.

Fixed speed enforcement, including when combined with red light enforcement, are most effective for reducing road trauma at locations where there has been a high number of crashes clustered together.

This is because fixed cameras are highly visible and motorists typically reduce their speeds for a short period before and after the camera. This is called, specific deterrence and is also how fixed red light cameras operate.

Locations are based on:

• crash history—5 or more speed-related crashes within the past 5 years
• crash potential.

Some fixed speed camera locations may not have crash history but may have significant risk factors. Instead of crash history, we choose these sites based on the crash potential, aiming to minimise the crash risk for new and existing roads, such as tunnels.

You can read more about crash history data used to select fixed camera locations.

Red light cameras

Red light cameras operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Red light cameras are cameras located at intersections with traffic lights. These cameras take photos of vehicles that fail to stop at red lights. The cameras are usually attached to a pole or other infrastructure and placed a few meters back from the solid white line, which marks the start of the intersection.

The photographic detection device is programmed to activate when a vehicle crosses the solid white stop line after the traffic light is red.

The Transport Operations (Road Use Management – Road Rules) Regulation 2009 states that the driver of a vehicle approaching a red traffic light must stop the vehicle as near as practical to, but before reaching the stop line. Once your vehicle has travelled over the solid white stop line, you have committed an offence.

Combined red light and speed cameras

Combined red light and speed cameras operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Combined red light and speed cameras are located at intersections and detect both red light and speeding offences. The camera can detect red light and speeding offences at the same time and can detect speeding vehicles when the traffic light is red, yellow or green.

We select combined red light and speed camera locations by investigating crashes and reviewing crash data, or the potential for crashes, at intersections with traffic lights.

Transportable road safety cameras

We manage the operation of transportable road safety cameras using an external service provider. They are responsible for deploying, moving and maintaining the device.

These cameras are deployed to high-risk areas in regional and remote parts of Queensland as well as roadwork sites and school zones.

Once deployed, the camera operations are managed and monitored remotely, with each camera fitted with extensive security, tracking and monitoring features operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The cameras also feature 360-degree closed circuit television (CCTV) and alarm systems. They also send communications to the provider, who can view live CCTV footage.

We select transportable road safety camera sites using strict criteria, assessing speed-related crash history or potential crash risk.

Road safety camera trailers

Highly visible road safety camera trailers are operated by the Queensland Police Service and deployed to high-risk areas, including highways and motorways, roadworks sites and school zones. Once the camera trailer is deployed and set up, daily checks manage and monitor its operation.

To deter theft and vandalism, the camera trailers have an extensive security and tracking system which monitors the camera trailer location 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are fitted with 360-degree CCTV cameras, audible alarm systems and send communications to the Queensland Police Service who can view live CCTV footage.

Road safety camera trailer sites are selected using strict criteria, assessing speed-related crash history or potential crash risk.

View the list of road safety camera trailer sites.

Point-to-point speed cameras

Point-to-point cameras have reduced instances of speeding along high crash risk locations and improved traffic flow and density.

Point-to-point speed cameras enforce speed limits at locations where other types of speed enforcement may be difficult or dangerous, and monitor locations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without an operator.

We select point-to-point speed camera locations by analysing lengths of the road with a history of crashes (or the potential for crashes) that result from speeding. Road lengths generally include high volume roads, such as motorways and highways.