Police officer's successful attempt at overturning incorrect speeding fine will not undermine the reliability of Victoria’s speed cameras, premier says
By Ruza Zivkusic | September 6, 2011
A police officer’s successful attempt at overturning an incorrect speeding fine will not undermine the reliability of Victoria’s speed cameras, Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu says.
Rosebud Senior Constable Faye Pitman claims she travelled at 98km/h when an EastLink camera snapped her at 108km/h. She fought the fine in Dandenong Magistrates Court and is the first to have an EastLink infringement overturned.
Speaking on 774 ABC Melbourne radio today, Baillieu says he does not believe the case will lead to similar complaints.
“The Auditor-General released a report last week which we specifically sought with a view to establish, or re-establishing confidence in the system,” he says.
“And the Auditor-General went through a number of cases and a number of testing regimes and concluded – including one of the so-called ‘hotspots’ on the Eastern Freeway that the cameras were accurate.
“Now, in the particular case yesterday, the Magistrate was at pains to say that the specific circumstances would not, he believed, lead to other, or a flood of similar, complaints.
“Now, I can only go on those comments. I haven’t read the judgement in full, if there is a judgement in full. But we have to accept both the Auditor-General’s position, which was fairly and extensive and the work was done, and also the judgement made yesterday.”
The Auditor-General has found the state’s camera program has been effective in improving road safety since its introduction almost 30 years ago and that camera accuracy is largely satisfactory.
