Road Safety Camera Commissioner Survey Wave 3
December 20 2023
Road Safety Camera Commissioner Survey Wave 3
The Road Safety Camera Commissioner (Commissioner), supported by the Office of the Road Safety Camera Commissioner and a reference group of expert advisors, is an independent oversight body established to enhance community confidence in the operational accuracy and reliability of road safety cameras in Victoria. The role of the Commissioner is to ensure there is ongoing integrity, transparency and community confidence in the camera system in Victoria.
The integrity of enforcement programs is influenced by the public’s perception of the credibility of these programs based on their accuracy, fairness, and reasonableness. The available research from road safety experts is persuasive in the effectiveness of road safety cameras to reduce road trauma. Research published by the Monash Accident Research Centre reveals a 47% reduction in casualty crashes at intersections on the enforcement leg of the camera system. Road safety cameras are used worldwide as a powerful tool for improving road safety and reducing road trauma.
In September 2023, Commissioner Neville Taylor re-engaged the same consultant, EY Sweeney, to conduct the third wave of a survey of public perceptions of Victoria’s road safety camera system. This was done to enhance the consistency and reliability in the methodology utilised across all the three waves. The data analysis employed was able to focus on indicators of trends in perceptions self-reported by the surveyed respondents.
This third survey built on the benchmark survey conducted in 2017, and the second wave in 2020, with the key findings of the benchmark survey and full report of Wave 2 still available on the News & Publications (Investigations) pages of the Commissioner’s website.
The primary objective of this Wave 3 Survey was to measure the perceived impacts and general community attitudes in 2023 towards the road safety camera system and how this related to road users’ behaviour and confidence in the system. The research objectives included awareness and views of road users on the various road safety camera technology in use, general road safety initiatives, observed post-COVID-19 impacts on the driving/riding behaviour of road users, and insights into any improvements that could be made to enhance the community’s views on the road safety camera system.
The results of this Wave 3 survey would indicate that the level of persuasiveness of the research on the benefits of road safety cameras is not shared by all the community. The Commissioner is committed to working with the road safety partners to consider the invaluable feedback from the survey respondents to identify pathways to bridge this perception gap.
On 13th December 2023, Commissioner Taylor appeared before the Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee’s inquiry into the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users. The Commissioner formally submitted items of interest from the survey and took questions that were relevant to the Terms of Reference of the inquiry. The Commissioner’s written submission and transcript of that evidence is now published on the Committee's website and can be accessed via the following links:
Read the full Public Perceptions survey below: