How many speed cameras does Australia have?

Australia ranks just inside the top 15 countries globally when it comes to speed cameras – not including mobile cameras, of which we have plenty – but moves inside the top 10 when measured per capita.

There are approximately 1335 fixed speed cameras in Australia, which might sound like a lot of speed-detection devices, but it pales in comparison beside Brazil, which has the most speed cameras globally with 18,206.

That’s according to a worldwide speed camera database that supplies camera locations to in-car sat-nav systems such as Garmin and TomTom and car-makers like Toyota, Subaru, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The latest data shows there are almost 60,000 known speed cameras globally, with Australia placing 14th on the list of countries with the highest numbers of speed cameras.

But when measured per capita, Australia moves up to 10th overall with less than 20,000 people per fixed speed camera – less than only the UAE, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, Austria, UK, Brazil, Russia and Germany.

And while the land Down Under cannot match speed camera juggernauts like Brazil, Italy and Russia, our 1300-plus fixed speed cameras still rake in hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue for state governments each year.

Big brother isn’t just watching, he’s raking it in.

Speed cameras are designed to change driver behaviour by fining motorists who exceed the posted speed limit. The idea behind speed cameras is simple: they act as a deterrent to speeding. In theory, most drivers who get fined won’t make the same mistake twice.

Australian speed limits vary in each state but the national highway limit remains 100km/h, or 110km/h on freeways. Sections of the Stuart Highway in Northern Territory have previously been unrestricted, which allowed motorists to legally drive at any speed they wished. However, these roads now have a 130km/h speed limit.

There are only four countries in the world that have certain roads without speed limits: Germany, Andorra, Angola and Nepal.

There has been talk of increasing Australia’s national speed limit, which some safety experts say is possible to do so safely.

The director of road safety at Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Samantha Cockfield, told carsales: “We can design infrastructure to withstand higher speeds”.

However, she noted that to do so would be an expensive endeavour.

Speed cameras are a polarising topic not just in Australia but right around the world, and now similar technology is being rolled out to nab motorists committing other traffic offences.

Phone detection cameras designed to reduce phone use while driving are operating in Australia’s largest state, New South Wales. Queensland is trialing the same cameras, which can also detect if vehicle occupants are not wearing seatbelts.

Which side of the fence do you sit on? Do you think speed cameras are an effective deterrent and the fines they generate an appropriate punishment, or do you see them simply as a revenue raising tool? Have your say in the comments section below.

Global speed camera count:
1. Brazil – 18,206
2. Italy – 10,551
3. Russia – 10,525
4. UK – 6942
5. USA – 6041
6. Germany – 4653
7. France – 3340
8. United Arab Emirates – 2718
9. Belgium – 2672
10. Sweden – 2038
11. Spain – 1902
12. Turkey – 1469
13. Austria – 1397
14. Australia – 1335
15. Argentina – 1199

Speed cameras per capita (people per speed camera):
1. UAE – 3639
2. Belgium – 4337
3. Sweden – 4955
4. Italy – 5730
5. Austria – 6447
6. UK – 9779
7. Brazil – 11,675
8. Russia – 13,826
9. Germany – 18,006
10. Australia – 19,201
11. France – 19,542
12. Spain – 24,581
13. Argentina – 37,694
14. USA – 54,792
15. Turkey – 57,412