Where’s my spy camera?
May 1, 2009 by Matt Brogan
A blue VW Transporter van fitted with a single, external, tripod mounted camera capable of scanning up to 700 number plates an hour was trialled yesterday in Moorabbin, Victoria, as police attempt to catch disqualified drivers.
The trial, which police say is still in its infancy, has already proved the automated number plate recognition technology works and that it could substantially increase the likelihood of catching disqualified or suspended drivers, or simply those that have unpaid registration or fines.
Superintendent Kevin Casey said police figures showed that disqualified drivers were involved in 10 per cent of all fatal road crashes and that recent research showed disqualified drivers were up to nine times more likely to be involved in a crash than other motorists.
Further to this, a report released yesterday by the Sentencing Advisory Council proved many motorists caught driving while disqualified or suspended had also committed other offences.
CarAdvice is keen to here your thoughts. Is this new technology a worthwhile expense or yet another unwanted spy camera? Leave a comment.
Print it: 
I’m supportive of it.
I mean, if a driver has had their license suspended, it is for a reason! If we are to believe the statistics then the last person I want driving next to me or in some oncoming traffic is someone who could potentially cause me or my family harm.
What is the use of the law (i.e. suspending someone’s license) if it isn’t enforced?
I’m ALL for it!!
I object to this, since it does not raise revenue with its associated safety benefits………
Err, no, wait on….
There was a recent press report that VIC magistrates were going easy on disqualified drivers cauht driving. There is an automatic gaol term for this offense, but it has almost never been applied in thousands of cases.
So really, what’s the point of catching them? They are processed through the system at great cost to the community, go to court a couple of years later, and are let off with no gaol time and, wait for the good bit, their license is suspended…….and the whole saga repeats.
This technology has been in use for a while in NSW, but one of the main aims has been to catch out unregisterd vehicles. Unregistered=no insurance, personal or property.
I think it’s a great idea. Although the camera’s which do the same thing in NSW can scan a couple of cars a second. So are able to read probably 5000/hr compared to 700/hr.
They can (and do) distort their figures any way they want but it is clear that this is a worthwhile technology.
The commonly bandied about figure of 30% deaths caused by speed actually includes more than 1/3rd of that figure not wearing a seatbelt/helmet and/or drink driving. ie 10% of all deaths.
There is also a good chance that the 10% of unlicensed deaths are a 1/3rd of the speeding deaths too since it was probably speeding which lost them their licences in the first place.
I personally think their is too much of an emphasis on speed, rather than pathetic driver behaviour and skills.
Dlr1 Says:
This technology has been in use for a while in NSW, but one of the main aims has been to catch out unregisterd vehicles. Unregistered=no insurance, personal or property.
Do you know how many of these cameras are in NSW? I’ve only saw them a couple times in the last few years. A little disappointing as i’m on the road probably 40,000km or more annually.
No use recognizing the plate if you can just nominate a family member/fried as the driver at the time. Next.
They have been using them in the ACT as well. They set up on the Monaro Hwy around Fyshwick where the Hwy mearges into one lane across a bridge, them a few hundred metres down the road just before the road splits back to two lanes, there is usually about 3 or 4 Police to pull over the vehiclesthat the camera had picked up being unregistered etc and provide on the spot fine. Much better then just taking a picture then sending it and much harder to dispute.
Only problem is they do this around 5-6pm so cause a bit of traffic jam.
>> No use recognizing the plate if you can just nominate a >> family member/fried as the driver at the time. Next.
Yes there is, as the owner of the vehicle should still be liable if their car is being driven on public roads without rego/ctp.
They were trialling this in Broadmeadows VIC earlier this year… same van, same setup. It stopped the traffic for a fair distance – they obviously found a lot of reasons to pull people over!
JML,
I think you’ll find that this isn’t like a speed camera that takes your picture and you get the notice in the post weeks later. Once detectied you are pulled over immediately.
In SA these are mounted in patrol cars, so the police are “scanning” thousands of cars a day just driving around in the course of their normal duties.
So when do we get the number plates with barcodes? Its a good idea to get cars and people whom should not be on the road, and are more than likely uninsured which isnt fair when they whack into someone who pays their rego and licencing costs. Only flaw i see is that i can drive my unregistered brown 20 year old commodore as long as the plates from my silver late model commodore are attached. If an officer was conducting the check an 07 silver commodore ss would come up on the screen though he would be pulling over a 91 brown commodore. When will they have a system ready that can distinguish models/ colours?
so what if i cover my numberplate?
Daniel, I meant in terms of unlicensed drivers, not unregistered vehicles. I thought it was a camera and letter in the mail system, however if the police are pulling you over just down the road then you’re nicked. :)
What if the photo shows the driver of the vehicle at the time of the offence and number plate?
It was my Twin?
Soon there will be an electronic tag on your vehicle instead of a registration sticker.
Frenchie there is NO PHOTO.
They were out in force in Broadmeadows today and boy did they have a cache of cars parked on the side of the road. A god 10 cars parked. Quite a queue of traffic.
On the way back some muppet ran up the back of another car waiting in traffic, forcing it into a third, 100m short of the 3 police cars. Incredible. Victorians and traffic always means accidents. Saw another 3 car accident (the usual nose to tail to nose) in traffic again.
If we all drove Volvos with that crash avoidance City Safety thingy Victorian Police would have nothing to do anymore!
To clarify the “other” 3 car accident was on the way home tonight. that’s 2 x 3 car tail enders in one afternoon within a couple of km’s.
Frenchie its number plate recognition not photography. The registration numbers are automatically recorded and match to records.
Many traffic cops in the UK have cameras on the rear of their roofs with an interior display that immediately lets then know when a suspect car is matched. Love it, lets get the crooks and nonpayers off the road. It’s a fair system that does not allow interpretation of a cop, blck and white law really. Roll it out.
FFS… I wondered what that was.
I live right near where it was set up. It was on Neapan Hwy in Cheltenham facing south just past the ped lights, past Southland. It looked just like a normal cop van without decals.
Okay – It’s a VW wagon with 2 guys in it. No gear out the front like a normal speed camera. Unlike a speed cam van, it was parked at a slight angle. This I now assume was to get a better show of the plates. Or perhaps they couldn’t park it right. Unsure the IT crap in it, but the operator had a monitor infront of him which he was watching. Perhaps just for calibrating. Unsure.
There was an unmarked 6cyl cop car (again dark blue) idling in the slip lane too. Open drivers side window – waiting for a chase signal? dunno.
mum was driving hahhaa
Looking at the Photo… what is it exactly that we are meant to STOP the POLICE from doing?