A reporter from the Witbank News recently raised some often asked questions about the validity of some speed enforcement measures and we received some important responses from Howard Dembovsky from Justice Project which we would like to share here as well!
- Can unmanned speeding cameras be moved around in this manner? Surely they have to be recalibrated every time they are moved?
Yes they may. The December 2012 TCSP prosecution guidelines authorised it. Like all portable speed measuring equipment, they can be moved from site to site and like all speed measuring equipment, calibration only has to be done every six months. They do however have to be set up properly each time they are deployed.
- Should the officers who are moving about these cameras be in possession of “operator’s certificates” in line with the TCSP guidelines?
Yes – absolutely!
- Are unmanned speeding cameras such as these “lane specific”? (in other words, is a fine containing a picture with more than one car in the photograph valid in terms of the TCSP guidelines).
Yes, they are. Some even have the capability to monitor up to eight lanes simultaneously. The lane the alleged offending vehicle was in will appear in the data displayed at the top of the image taken.
- Should the speed limit be clearly indicated by road signs along the route (if yes – how far/close to the camera themselves should these road signs be)
Actually, there is no law which states that the general speed limit must be displayed on a road traffic sign at all. Every licensed driver should know what the general speed limit is and I can assure you that a great many don’t. Everyone knows that the general speed limit in an urban area is 60km/h unless there is a sign stating differently. Also, everyone knows that the general speed limit on a freeway is 120km/h unless there is a sign prescribing a lower speed limit. But when it comes to a road outside of an urban area which is not a freeway, then you would be surprised how few people know that the general speed limit there is 100km/h – not 120km/h or 80km/h.
- May these speeding cameras be placed on an incline/decline where the speed of a vehicle could vary despite the driver attempting to drive at the speed limit?
Yes. The speed limit is the same, whether the road you are driving on is uphill, downhill or level. It’s actually common sense if you think about it.
- The TCSP guidelines read “A Land Surveyor, registered with the South African Council for Professional and Technical Land Surveyors, an accredited laboratory or suitably qualified person must validate all distance checking markers for validation of SME’s where applicable.” How do Witbank’s citizens know that the aforementioned persons really have checked the distance markers?
Distance markers are not used with RADAR speed measuring devices – which the equipment you are referring to is.
- The TCSP guidelines read “Fixed cameras operating through automation shall be checked for correct operation, correct camera alignment and damage at least every seven days”. How do we know that this “check” is being performed? What are the repercussions if this check is not being performed?
These are not fixed speed cameras, but obviously, the reliability of any reading is dependent on the correct operation of the equipment concerned – hence it must be checked.
- What is the process if a community wants to have the speed limit changed? The affected roads currently have a speed limit of 60, but they are main roads branching off of the N4 – and thus many residents feel a speed limit of 80 would be more suitable
They would need to approach and petition the roads authority responsible for that particular stretch of road. Remember, it could be SANRAL, the provincial roads authority or the local authority. I do however point out that speed limits are not usually set in a willy-nilly fashion and the recommendations of the roads engineer, as well as physical site surveys and statistics and the environment play a huge part. I have never heard of a speed limit being increased at the request and based on the opinion of residents – just by the way.
- Is there a reason why the speed limit should remain unchallenged at 60? Are accidents much less likely on major roads with a speed limit of 60 instead of 80?
There are many reasons for the setting of a particular speed limit and I have alluded to just a few above. Some other factors could include the volume of pedestrians/children/animals in the area the road runs through, as well as whether there are fences to prevent animals from straying into the road. They will also factor in the volume and severity of crashes which have occurred on that stretch of road, along with a long list of other factors which are considered when setting speed limits.
Speed as a Contributory Factor to Road Traffic Crashes https://t.co/SSz9EbQyYs #ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/ucmqZkHjYu
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) December 5, 2017