A couple of questions on this:
- it was quite widely publicised that the higher 100kmh speed limit (& single speed camera installed - the northernmost one) was to have been commisioned & implemented no later the AUGUST 2005.
A few things happened, RTA Traffic directorate created a newish program of variable speed limits, indeed- this is not fully finalised, the Feds have for some time supported the idea, and on the face of it, it look reasonable.... This created the delays owing costs, power, implementation and funding.
- There is now 2 speed camera installations present within about 1-2km of one another.
One immediately adjacent to each of the VMS & other post/sensors etc. Is this being setup as 2 seperate installations to catch motorists speeding over a rather short section of road (the EXACT reason it was withdrawn from service on the Spit Bridge location in the 1st place - basically the 2 cameras were recording the same incidence of speeding).
The court outcome was appropriate. The camera system at Mt White forms part of the Safe T Cam system, but can operate with the regular point to point speed enforcement program.
Will they be set up with 2 different 'trigger' limits? (ie one @ the lower 90kph limit & one at the upper 100kph limit) Or will they be interconnected in a similar way to the truck 'safety cams' in that they'll track each vehicles progress over the section of road & then calculate the speed off of that?
Eitherway, the wet weather program could mean a lower speed than 90km/h on that section, the fixed speed camera will detect at point of install. Remember this is for the existing 90km/h zone only. Point to point enforcement 'potential' starts at Mt White for northbound up to QLD border. Similar runs for Southbound ending at Mt White. That said future development could mean further link-up on Sydney motorways.
The fog sensors are a reasonably good idea, the location of the camera site does see some of the thickest fog in the area, would hope that it is intended to allow for alteration of signs well & truely BEFORE that location.
REM, the delay as to the fixed camera installation at Nth Jolls is owing the need for additional VMS. Further signs are planned before wet weather implementation.
Any thoughts re fitting other types of sensors at this location,
Yes, aside from the rain sensor which will detect 'wet' roads, I am pushing fog sensors (cheap). These would be the only two sensors for this length. RTA's TMC-Traffic Managment Centre can be notified of other situations.
Further, the road will have additional online cameras for members of the public and RTA TMC to access. Issue again of power and telematics.
Any thoughts re sensor installation for prior warning to motorists over the Mooney Mooney ck bridge? BEFORE they start their decent, & find out tooo late that conditions were far from suitable for the posted speeds? Lets face it 90kph at times is still way too quick depending upon conditions. I know of times when even 40kph in certain conditions is quite dangerous.
Yes, the site is recognised. Top, before decent.
- Those rear fog lamps can cause as much if not MORE probs then they solve. From experience the globes used in these in my opinion are be over powered & tend to be very distracting. When trying to drive along with that glaring in your eyes in the adjacent lane, it can blind you to what is happening in front of you. Why is it that these fog lamps are brighter then a set of stop lamps?
The rear fog lamp is the worlds only standardised defence against rear-end crashes in heavy fog conditions. They are also suited to use in torrential rain, particularly in daylight, in bushfire smoke-indeed they are mandatory on NSWFB vehicles for that reason, in falling snow, when driving on dirt roads and so on. Be assured your 5 watt taillights are utterly useless in such conditions, AND that the hazard warning lights alternative allowance is illegal at International law, the are not prescribed for that purpose.
(I won't mention about people feeling the need to use thse when there is no fog about, tis the same old argument with people using front end fog/driving lights)
* The lights appearing bewlow the bumper of 99% of cars and 4WD's are not 'driving' or 'daytime running lamps', they are ADR designated front fog lights.
The Australian Road Rule 217 tells us the rear fog light is restricted to hazardous weather conditions causing reduced visibility, I had proposed we adopt the continental enforcement measure of a 50 metre 'visibility maximum' for these. I will do so again, even if NSW goes it alone. This would mean visibility would have to be down to 50 metres before you could use the rear fog lamp.
It is my view that the rear fog light should have been mandated for the entire vehicle fleet, including box trailers many years ago - along with a determined enforcement program to aid implementation. The Federal DOTARS ask that I complete an RIS on the matter for NEW market vehicles, and one day I will do so. I consider the optional nature of ADR 52 to be serious negligence on part of the State and any manufacturer who chooses to save a buck by not equipping their models with at least one, these items are very very cheap to implement, you can buy your own for as little as $15 (LE Perie-Mt Waverly).
The Bargo fog and bushfire crash cost Australia over 12 million dollars in the space of a few minutes. The largest fog crash ever recorded in NSW was on the F6 where we had 86 car piled up (1987), other multi-vehicle crashes have occured as well. Remember too, these lamps are intended for torrential sudden downpours, the type we get in summer too.
You might be pleased that newer cars have these switching off automatically once the ignition has been switched off.
http://www.thecourier.com.au/detail....ory&class_id=7
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au...55E421,00.html
- With regards to power being available at the said site. I find it a little ironic that somehow the electricity (I do not know about optical cabling req) to power up the camera's was ran in, however it was put off as a 'cost prohibitive' argument to power up the warning signs & safety sensors.
The only fixed camera system operating is at south Ourimbah, it took 'some time' and money to get power running to that site, and RTA wanted, but found power supply costs too high to install one opposite.
The F3 upgrade means the potential for new VMS, sensors and the like has opened new possibilities, including the variable speed zoning test program.
As a concerned motorist that uses this exact section of road (sometimes as many as 4 times a day) I look forward to hearing your comments etc.