About 60,000 drivers on Canberra roads were stung for speeding last year, clocking up more than $15 million in fines.
Police issued $1.4 million in speeding fines in 2016, but say the number of drivers they caught speeding was half that of five years ago.
![The vast majority of speeding infringements were recorded by speed cameras.](/web/20170120135159im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/k/1/7/j/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gts2id.png/1484910836027.jpg)
Fines issued by police accounted for just six per cent of all fines last year, with the rest from government-run speed cameras.+
Despite the fall in fines, police warned last week that the number of drivers breaking the law this month was "beyond comprehension" after 480 traffic-infringement notices and cautions were issued in the first 11 days of January.
Last year, ACT Policing issued 3791 traffic infringement notices for speeding.
This was a modest drop from the 3811 fines in 2015, but a 54 per cent fall in fines from 2011, when police issued 8359 speeding tickets.
"ACT Policing has seen a marked improvement in driver behaviour in terms of speeding across Canberra," a police spokeswoman said.
"However, we do continue to see some drivers who recklessly put others and themselves at risk by speeding. ACT Policing's focus is on targeting removing dangerous drivers from our roads."
55,750 drivers were caught by the ACT's 28 fixed-speed cameras.
A Justice and Community Services spokesman said the minimum fine from a fixed-speed camera was $257.
Annual totals for speeding offences caught by cameras varied, but more than 50,000 drivers had been caught by speed cameras each year for the past five years.
The spokesman said the drop in speeding offences caught by cameras in 2014-15 was due to ageing equipment. Data shows the 2016 total is creeping closer to 2011 results, when 56,719 speeding offences were issued.
"The use of road-safety cameras complements the work of police enforcing speed limits," the spokesman said.
"Increased enforcement activity, at least initially, is likely to result in an increase in speeding drivers being detected in a greater range of locations.
"However, as motorists become aware of the increased potential to being caught speeding, it is expected that motorists will start to modify their driving behaviour, leading to a reduction in speeding and a corresponding fall in infringements."
Gungahlin Drive, Majura Parkway, Monaro Highway, William Hovell Drive and Belconnen Way were the top-five hot spots for speeding in 2016.
According to police data, the city's north had some of the highest rates of speeding.
Police issued 226 speeding fines were Franklin, 209 in Bruce, 196 in Aranda, 179 in Majura and 138 in Mitchell.
But some suburbs – Fairbairn, Garran, Lawson, North Lyneham, Parkwood, Tharwa and Uriarra – got through the year with only one driver being fined by police for exceeding the speed limit.
"The worst speeding offence in Canberra last year was on the Majura Parkway when a motorbike rider was caught driving at 239km/h in a 100km/h zone," the police spokeswoman said.
The driver received a $1811 fine along with six demerit points.
While police are nabbing less speeding drivers than in previous years, is was still a priority policing issue, the spokeswoman said.
"Speeding is one of the top reasons behind deaths and serious injuries on our roads," she said.
"Drivers who speed, particularly to this extent, have no place on our roads."