News

National speeding fine revenue continues to climb (813)

No one likes opening their wallet to pay a speeding fine. For Australian motorists, the collective sting of these fines now tops more than one billion dollars a year… and continues to rise.

Victoria sits at the top of the charts for speed camera revenues. Fines from fixed and mobile traffic cameras topped $363.15 million in the state, as shown in the 2015-2016 Department of Justice and Regulation Annual Report. This figure does not include police-issued ‘on-the-spot’ fines for speeding and other offences, which amounted to an additional $136.55 million – making a staggering $499.7 million leaving the pockets of Victorian motorists every year.

New South Wales (NSW) isn’t far behind. Statistics from Revenue NSW (part of the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation) show 2016-2017 revenues from speed and red-light cameras at around $193.92 million, and police-issued speeding fines at about $80.86 million– a total of $274.78 million.

Extrapolating from these figures across the two most-populous states of Victoria and New South Wales, speeding fine revenue is upwards of $700 million.

When you add to this the reported $174 million in South Australia, $226 million in Queensland, and $97 million in Western Australia (all 2015 figures), plus Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, and total speeding fine revenue across Australia easily tops $1.1 billion annually.

Driver Assist Technologies to the rescue
The Driver Assist Technologies (DATs) built into new Ford vehicles like the Ranger and Everest, can help relieve the billion-dollar burden being carried by Australian motorists.

Technologies being tested at Ford’s Asia Pacific Product Design Centre (APPDC) located in Victoria, in conjunction with Ford’s global design and technology divisions, can lend a hand to all motorists who try to “do the right thing”, but occasionally fall victim to an unfamiliar road or an unintentional indiscretion.

“Ford Australia strongly supports safe driving habits. Drivers should always be alert to changing conditions on the roads and always drive within the posted speed limits,” Ford Australia President and CEO Graeme Whickman said. “But we also recognise that drivers who might otherwise intend to adhere to the posted speeds can become distracted and either creep up in speed or simply follow the car in front and end up speeding without realising. Technologies such as adaptive cruise control and Ford’s speed limiter can help in these situations,” Whickman added.

Safety first
The Australian designed and engineered Ford Ranger and Everest both offer speed limiting technology¹, allowing drivers to set a maximum speed that the system will help you to stay below. If the situation demands however, the driver can override the limit with a hard press of the accelerator pedal.

Adaptive Cruise Control, also available on the Ranger² and Everest, is another effective way for drivers to maintain close control of their speed. These technologies are part of an encompassing safety commitment by Ford.

A technology-driven solution
Other safety technologies currently built into Ford vehicles such as blind-spot detection and lane departure warning are all part of making the road a safer place to be. By combining a clever suite of technology with attentive driving, drivers can reduce the likelihood of nudging the speed limit, for a safer drive – and more money in the pocket.

¹Not available on XL Plus models.

²Standard on Wildtrak models and included with optional pack available on XLT models. Available on Trend and Titanium models. Driver-assist features are supplemental and do not replace the driver’s attention, judgment and need to control the vehicle. May not operate at certain speeds, or in certain driving, road or weather conditions. LKS is designed to operate at speeds above 65km/h on multi-lane roads with clearly visible lane markings.