ALMOST 300 drivers a day are being caught speeding on Wyndham’s roads.
Speed camera statistics from the state government reveal that 27,006 drivers were caught by Wyndham’s nine fixed speed cameras between January and March this year.
Most were caught out by a camera over the Princes Freeway at Hoppers Crossing.
The Forsyth Road bridge camera, covering the Melbourne-bound lanes of the freeway, recorded the highest number of speeding drivers in the state – 5780 motorists over the 91 days.
The camera earned the government $1million in fines.
A camera on the other side of the freeway detected 4630 speeding drivers, raising $819,902. It was the third most profitable camera in the state.
A further 4204 drivers were caught out by a camera on the freeway at the Avalon Road bridge in Lara. It was the third Wyndham camera listed in the state’s top 20.
Sergeant Kevin Hickson of Wyndham highway patrol said some drivers appeared determined to speed regardless of the consequences.
“People are quite prepared to speed because it is still socially acceptable to do so,” he said.
“They also appear to be prepared to pay the financial cost of being caught. The current speeding fines range from $176 and one demerit for being up to 10km/h above the speed limit to $704, a 12-month suspension and eight demerit points for being 45km/h over. Some people also appear to be willing to [pay] the ultimate price, which is death or serious injury to themselves, family or [an] innocent bystander.”
Drivers caught speeding in Wyndham paid a total of $4.7million in fines.
Sergeant Hickson said police were not concerned by how much money was raised by the cameras and were focusing their attentions on reducing the number of speeding drivers.
“As a policeman, I would be more than happy to see no fines issued.”
Statewide, 336,964 drivers were caught speeding between January-March.
