Heavy vehicle operators travelling along the M4 should be mindful of their speed as average speed cameras are now operational according to Transport for NSW.
The average speed cameras measure the speed of heavy vehicles and trailers with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) greater than 4.5 tonnes, complementing the fixed speed cameras that already operate in the M4 tunnels for both heavy and regular vehicles.
“Average speed cameras will operate on the M4, including in the tunnel, to maintain safety for all road users,” said Transport for NSW Deputy Secretary for Safety, Environment and Regulation, Tara McCarthy.
“Police enforcement is difficult in these locations and the result of a crash in a tunnel is likely to be severe.
“Speeding is the largest contributor to crashes on NSW roads and the consequences of a crash involving a speeding heavy vehicle will be much more serious because of their size and weight,” she said.
Average speed cameras are being installed on motorways and in tunnels in and around Sydney in response to the increase in heavy vehicle movements through the city.
“Average speed cameras are proven to save lives which is why they are being expanded into Sydney as part of the Road Safety Plan 2021,” said McCarthy.
“In the 25 regional locations where average speed cameras are currently used we’ve seen a 44 per cent reduction in deaths from crashes involving heavy vehicles.
“Casualty crashes, in which at least one person is killed or injured, involving heavy vehicles in those areas also fell by almost a quarter,” she said.
The average speed cameras on the M4 will operate in warning mode for two months from Friday 30 October. During this time drivers caught speeding will receive a warning letter to encourage them to change their behaviour.
Heavy vehicles that are detected speeding, either through the fixed speed cameras or average speed cameras, will only receive one infringement notice.
Fines and demerit points will be sent to offending drivers once the warning letter period has finished.
Fines from average speed cameras go directly into the Community Road Safety Fund to deliver targeted road safety initiatives in NSW. All speed camera locations are published on the Centre for Road Safety.