By LAURA WAKELY
MORE than 30,000 motorists have been clocked speeding during the first six weeks cameras were reactivated in Keilor East.
The cameras, located near the Keilor Park Drive overpass on the Western Ring Rd, were deactivated in November 2010 as part of the Western Ring Rd upgrade and were switched on again on 5 April this year.
Police were shocked to find 30,000 motorists speeding in the six weeks after the cameras were reactivated, with 160 found travelling more than 25 kilometres over the speed limit and six detected at more than 45 kilometres over the limit.
Signs warning motorists that the cameras would be active again were placed at the site weeks before their activation, but appear to have done little to influence the behaviour of some drivers.
During a one-month test phase, in which no fines were issued, 1253 motorists were found speeding 25 kilometres above the 80 kilometre limit.
Road Policing Superintendent Neville Taylor said compliance had been at 97.9 per cent at the Keilor Park Drive overpass compared with 99.9 per cent at other fixed speed camera sites in Victoria.
“It’s just not good enough,” Supt Taylor said.
“We know that speed is a major factor in about one third of fatal collisions each year, yet some motorists continue to drive at dangerous speeds well above the posted speed limit and risk not only their own lives, but those of innocent road users.”
He said that if motorists were speeding on this section of the road, it was highly likely they were also speeding elsewhere.
Figures show drivers have racked up $1.7 million in speeding fines on other fixed cameras in Brimbank between January and March this year.
More than 9700 of those fines were issued on the Western Ring Rd at Sunshine West, with the fourth, southbound lane racking up $723,884 or 3986 fines.
Meanwhile, just 38 drivers sped or drove through a red light at the intersection of Duke St and Ballarat Rd, with a total of $11,685 fines issued.
