Let’s make hoons pay
Councillor wants cameras in hotspots
A CAIRNS regional councillor wants local governments and police to team up and punish hoons in known speeding hot spots.
New interactive speed signs have been installed at Madang St in Trinity Beach, where 48-year-old father Allan “Chocko” Anthony was killed in a crash in February.
The LED-display signs inform drivers of their speed and collect data so the council can track behavioural changes.
Division 9 Councillor Brett Olds said councils should collaborate with police to share the cost of affixing cameras to the signs.
“I really wish there was a way to collaborate with QPS to get the data straight to them. It wouldn’t be hard to attach a camera,” he said.
“There are some total nitwits and I think they would slow down pretty quick.”
Cr Olds’ proposed alliance between local governments and police would require a statewide legislative overhaul.
Mayor Bob Manning said the data that the signs gathered could not be used for enmation forcement, but could be used to inform police patrols.
“For example, we’ll be able to keep track of what times speeding is occurring and police may use this infor- to schedule enforcement activities,” he said.
At 5km/h-10km/h over the limit, the signs show the speed and the message “slow down”. If a vehicle is over 10km/h above the limit, the signs stop posting the vehicle speed and instead displays the speed limit.
“The last thing we want is for drivers to see it as a challenge to try and post the highest speed, so it stops displaying at 10km/h over the limit,” Cr Manning said.
The signs are mobile and will be used at other locations.