Controversial opinion on mobile speed cameras divides Australia

Sneakily-placed speed cameras are possibly the most unpopular form of road rule enforcement among drivers – but one Australian is arguing they’re actually good for everyone.

The Reddit user posting to the Sydney page on Wednesday noted a typical response to being snapped going slightly over the speed limit was that police should be working on more important cases.

But they argued that mobile speed cameras allow police to effectively enforce road rules while freeing up their manpower and resources to investigate and deter other sorts of crime, making the community safer.

Mobile speed cameras placed in sneaky locations infuriate many drivers but one Australian has argued they’re good for everyone

The post sparked a debate on Reddit over the merits of speed cameras

‘Unpopular opinion, mobile speed cameras are actually good,’ the Reddit user declared, sparking a wave of comments debating the position.

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‘Fining people for minor infractions on high speed roads where the cameras camp out does bugger all for road safety and just discredits other reasonable safety initiatives,’ one person claimed. 

‘You can save lives and also revenue raise. All the money that’s made from drivers who refuse to follow the speed limit can be spent on life saving infrastructure improvements,’ another argued.

‘Fixed speed cameras just slow people down where they know they are positioned but mobiles ones that could appear anywhere push more people to generally slow down,’ a third added. 

‘Fines need to be a percentage of last year’s gross income. Like so many other things, they adversely effect the poor,’ a fourth said.

Another joked: ‘Speeding cameras are a good way of redistributing wealth from Ute drivers to government entities.’

Studies show that speed cameras actually do reduce the rate of crashes where they are deployed.