Heads up for WA riders

[mick_dundee]

An anomaly on WA roads - motorcyclists who 'ride like maniacs' knowing speed cameras cannot catch them because they don't have front number plates - will be challenged by new technology within months.

The WA Police have been given the green light to buy four dual-lens speed cameras which take photographs of the front and rear registration plates.


Assistant Commissioner John McRoberts hopes the new cameras will be on WA roads by Christmas, bringing some balance to the 'unfair advantage' motorcyclists enjoy over the rest of the State's motorists.

"We are concerned that the current technology is limited in terms of catching motorcyclists," Mr McRoberts said.

"With dual-lens cameras the forward facing lens fires when a speeding vehicle approaches and then triggers the rear facing lens."

Apart from 'getting away' with reaching speeds as deadly as 240kmh, motorcyclists have avoided more than $14 million in speeding fines since 2000 because existing Multanova cameras only photograph the front of vehicles.

For more than 20 years motorcycles have not been required to display front registration numbers after an accident found a pedestrian was killed when hit by a motorcycle and decapitated by the front number plate.

WA Government promises to close the speeding loophole by finding a new style of number plate to fit all motorcycles has hit a brick wall.

"We estimate achieving that would cost around $6 million and would have to be co-ordinated with all manufacturers and the other States," Mr McRoberts said.

"We can buy dual-lens cameras, which are tripod mounted cameras facing both ways, for about $75,000 each."

Last year, 22 riders or their passengers died in 83 motorcycle crashes. Police have been incensed by images captured by Multanovas of motorcyclists speeding past, doing stunts and giving the cameras the finger.

"On January 3 on the Great Eastern Highway bypass we got a 226kmh reading in a 100kmh zone," Mr McRoberts said. "On May 12 last year on the Roe Highway there was a 237kmh in the 100kmh zone. That was at 5.10pm on a busy highway."

NB Don't be surprised to see this in every other state as well....

[ZZRCHIKKY]

of they could spend less money and get 2 number plates

[mick_dundee]

Cost of fitting front numberplates for motorbikes is estimated at many millions vs 75g for a speed camera...

[ZZRCHIKKY]

there not jsut buying one though theve got to have multiples

[mick_dundee]

And you think there is a front numberplate that fits all bikes?? Me thinks you better speak to someone old and wise, see Smitty for a history lesson on front numberplates.

[mike-s]

i can imagine the next step after this is uk style gatso'ing the speed cameras.

[Lainie]

http://www.mccofnsw.org.au/a/33.html

[Stereo]

"On January 3 on the Great Eastern Highway bypass we got a 226kmh reading in a 100kmh zone," Mr McRoberts said. "On May 12 last year on the Roe Highway there was a 237kmh in the 100kmh zone. That was at 5.10pm on a busy highway."

We get idiots doing that on the westgate freeway every day.... They dont NOT get a ticket because the speedcamera isnt effective..... Its just that where they speed there isnt a speedcamera....

I wonder if that was neka doing that speed?

[ZZRCHIKKY]

i thought it was cos the speed camra dusnt work fast enough to catch the bike

[Strika]

On our West Gate Bridge, the cameras are activated by strips across the road surface. However where they have located the cameras there is another lane merging it. If you stay in this till the last minute you avoid the strips.

By the way Stereo, I think you will find the WG bridge cameras are rear facing!!!!!!!!

[mrmina]

By the way Stereo, I think you will find the WG bridge cameras are rear facing!!!!!!!!

i thought they were front facing