Two new speed cameras have been switched on in Perth and regional WA, despite ongoing confusion surrounding the criteria used to determine their locations on our roads.
The new cameras include a red-light safety camera at the intersection of Tonkin Highway and Welshpool Road in Wattle Grove, and a fixed speed camera on Great Eastern Highway in Wundowie.
While the Road Safety Commission has previously come under fire for failing to explain the criteria used to determine the planned locations of fixed speed and red light cameras, Commissioner Kim Papalia said Wattle Grove and Wundowie were chosen for a number of reasons.
"There are several key factors taken into account when each safety camera location is chosen, including crash propensity and risk issues at that particular site," he said.
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However, the details of these criteria remain unclear.
In a report conducted by WAtoday last December, it was found fixed speed camera locations often failed to address Perth accident hot-spots and instead targeted drastic changes in road speed limits.
According to Main Roads WA, nearly 85 per cent of crashes on Tonkin Highway were 'rear-end type' incidents, which pointed to driver inattention rather than speeding.
Mr Papalia said the placement of the new red light cameras and speed cameras were chosen in order to address a number of issues on specific roads.
"We have found that safety cameras effectively reducing aggregate speed in the specific location they are deployed," he said.
"Now, all vehicles travelling through the Wattle Grove and Wundowie safety camera sites could receive infringements if they are caught speeding."
However, the intersection of Tonkin Highway and Collier Road continues to record the highest number of crashes on Perth roads, with 341 separate incidents recorded over a five year period. This is despite the placement of a red light speed camera.
The Road Safety Commission said the choice to deploy another red light speed camera on Tonkin Highway was due to 152 crashes recorded by Main Roads in the Wattle Grove area between 2012 and 2016.
The Reid Highway and Malaga Drive, Karrinyup Road and Wanneroo Road, Thomas Street and Loftus Street and Nicholson Road and Ranford Road intersections all recorded higher crash statistics between 2011 and 2015.
A fixed safety camera was also switched on along the Great Eastern Highway in Wundowie, believed to be in response to over 100 crashes recorded on the road over the five year period.
There had been six fatalities and 24 people hospitalised as a result of the accidents.