School cameras nab dozens

Speed systems catch drivers daily, some exceeding limit by 30km/h

More than a dozen motorists a day are being nabbed by special cameras set up in school zones across the Gold Coast and Logan.

Shockingly, 75 of the drivers caught out were travelling at speeds of more than 20km/h above the speed limit when snared by the cameras, which are concealed inside flashing school zone signs.

Of those, three were exceeding the limit by at least 30km/h – meaning they were driving at least 70km/h in a 40km/h school zone while children were making their way to and from classes. The figures cover the period from August 7 – when the cameras first started issuing fines – to March 22, shortly before schools broke up for the Easter holidays. They relate to the South East Queensland Police District, which encompasses the Gold Coast and Logan.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said they made “no apology” for deploying the cameras, known as the Roadways Behaviour Monitoring System, in defence of vulnerable schoolchildren.

“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility,” they said. “We are committed to doing everything possible to keep our most vulnerable road users safe and make sure road trauma continues to remain as low as possible. Speeding is one of the leading causes of fatalities and serious injuries on Queensland’s roads.”

School zones present challenges for speed enforcement as there is little space for mobile speed cameras or road safety camera trailers. The presence of vulnerable road users, such as schoolchildren, adds additional complexity.

“The RBMS is capable of being deployed in restrictive areas and provides additional functionality by displaying the speed limit on the attached sign,” the spokesman said.

The figures have been released ahead of children returning to school following the Easter break on Monday.

Speaking at the start of the school year, Police Minister Mark Ryan urged people to be patient on roads around schools.

“The school zones are there to protect children, there’s no excuse for speeding through a school zone, it is simply dangerous,” Mr Ryan said.

In November, the Bulletin reported how errant drivers were also throwing away more than $40,000 a day in fines for offences detected by the Gold Coast’s network of fixed speed and red light cameras.