Articles by Jim O'Rourke

The camera on Sydney's Eastern Distributor earns the same daily rate as a top Sydney barrister or what Australian captain Michael Clarke earns for two one-day internationals, is at the top of a list of Sydney's 20 most lucrative - which combined put $17.6 million in the government's coffers in just six months.The Eastern Distributor camera snapped 10,047 speeding drivers - an average of 54 a day - and collected $2,275,724 in fines in the six months ot December 31. The camera has topped the Office of State Revenue's speeding notices' list since the 2011-12 financial year.A camera in the southbound lanes on Botany Road at Rosebery, came in second, again, with 7,266 fines in the six-month period, followed by Cleveland Street at Moore Park (eastbound) with 5,515 notices. The top 20 fixed speed cameras caught a total of 80,479 drivers.Opposition roads spokesman Walt Secord said that under the O'Farrell Government speed cameras have been turned into "cash registers"."Before the March 2011 election, Barry O'Farrell said he would remove them, but in government he has been rolling them out across the State," Mr Secord said. "Speed cameras for safety purposes are necessary, especially in school zones, but Barry O'Farrell has turned them into cash registers for his Government."A spokesman for Roads Minister Duncan Gay said speeding was a factor in 148 road deaths last year. "In NSW, we use a high visibility approach to address speeding, with cameras supporting enforcement conducted by NSW Police," he said.Last year the Government reviewed the location of fixed speed cameras and determined that 91 locations were found to have been effective in improving road safety. There was a 90 per cent drop in fatalities at camera locations. All revenue raised by cameras is spent on road safety including flashing lights for school crossings.In NSW there are fixed speed cameras at 108 locations, red light speed cameras at 126 intersections, 13 mobile speed camera vehicles and 22 point-to-point enforcement lengths for heavy vehicles."A review of all speed cameras in NSW is carried out every year and cameras at 33 locations have been decommissioned by this Government because they were not improving road safety. There are currently a further nine cameras under review," the spokesman said."We want people to be aware of enforcement cameras, that's why all speed cameras in NSW have highly visible warning signs before them so motorists will know a speed camera is operating and ensure they obey the speed limit."If a motorist sees those signs and slows down, the speed camera has done its job. More than 99 per cent of vehicles that pass speed cameras are not infringed."NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said the Government should consider an audit of the top speed camera locations to examine the visibility of signage warning of the presence of the cameras and whether road conditions are contributing to speeding offences.Mr Khoury said while the NRMA acknowledges speed cameras have a role to play, increased police activity and visibility is the most effective way to crack down on bad driver behaviour.Read full story: www.dailytelegraph.com.au 

Motorists preparing for their New Year holidays are being urged to shop around to avoid being severely bitten at the bowser. Figures show the gap between the highest and lowest prices charged in Sydney for ordinary unleaded petrol (ULP) has reached record levels.The 7-Eleven service station at Greenacre was charging just $1.37.9c per litre for ULP yesterday, 29c less than the Caltex/Woolworths outlet at North Ryde at $1.66.9c.Some service stations - the Coles Express outlets at Cremorne, Cammeray, North Ryde and Annandale - were heading towards $2 a litre, charging $1.84.9c for premium unleaded petrol, which now makes up about 28 per cent of the market.The NRMA's Bowser Buster fuel search service and the Motormouth consumer fuel price search website found the average price for ULP in Sydney yesterday was $1.56.8c but NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said it had risen to 161.6c by early evening."That is - we believe - way too high,'' Mr Khoury said. "We think that the Australian people deserve an explanation as to why this is happening.''The average price for ULP in Sydney 12 months ago was $141.3c. Mr Khoury said if a service station was charging close to 30c a litre more than a competitor it was charging itself out of the market: "The prices they are charging are far too exorbitant and unnecessary. Anyone charging $1.67 a litre (for unleaded) is having a laugh."Mr Khoury said, based on trends in petrol price cycles, the price was expected to peak on January 1 before it fell by as much as 10c a litre in coming weeks.Latest Australian Competition & Consumer Commission figures showed that, in the 30-day period ending December 29, the average daily price of unleaded petrol in Sydney fluctuated between $1.41 and $1.57. Mr Khoury said drivers who had to fill up in coming days should use the NRMA site and shop around.Read more here.

"HITLER", "4P1AY" AND "8ITCH" are all banned from the road for being too offensive. So too is "HU55Y" and "OMFGOD". The cheeky numberplates above are among those rejected by the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) for being too rude, offensive to religion, sexual or violent. In 2012 about 36,000 motorists applied for personalised plates, with more than 240 knocked back.An RMS spokesman said there were checks to ensure offensive and provocative content is not displayed on vehicles. "When ordered, plate combinations which use offensive language, are of a religious, violent, explicit or sexual nature, are monitored and refused," the spokesman said."Plates may also be rejected if they promote unsafe driving or drinking." The Daily Telegraph in October reported the RMS, following an order from police, had recalled plates with the letters MEOC, the acronym for the police Middle Eastern Organised Crime squad, seen as a taunt by gang members.Car enthusiast Michael Duong has "4DACHX" - for the chicks - on his white BMW E3 and believes they're worth about $10,000. "People are always looking at the plates, trying to work out the message. Then they shout out, 'for the chicks!' It's good fun," he said.Mr Duong said a woman left a note under his windscreen wiper recently saying she hated the numberplates. "But she also wrote, 'here's my phone number, give me a call'," he said. "I had a girlfriend at the time." Other banned plates include: 4P1AY, HU55Y, AQ55HT, OMFGOD, HITLER and 8ITCH.Michael Duong ... for the chicks. Pic Michael KnipeTHE BAD ROAD HABITS THAT MAKE US SEE RED Exclusive by Jim O'RourkeFAILING to use indicators, not knowing how to merge and motorists who don't know how to navigate roundabouts are among the bad driving habits that annoy NSW road users. Speeding and constantly changing lanes also made the list. The State of Courtesy study found 90 per cent of NSW drivers want lessons on motoring courtesy to be compulsory in driver education and testing.More than 50 per cent of 1621 drivers questioned said mandatory classes on road courtesy should be introduced and 48 per cent said discourtesy demerit points should be imposed, according to the GIO research. "(Courtesy) is essential to combating road rage and keeping our community safe," GIO spokesman Stephen Bell said."It's clear drivers want more done to encourage better and safer behaviour on the road and at the top of their wish lists is teaching courtesy in the driver education system." Most drivers, 84 per cent, said parents should be responsible for teaching courteous driving behaviour, followed by driving instructors (79 per cent) and police (33 per cent)."What's become more apparent through our research is that driver courtesy needs to start at a grassroots level," Mr Bell said. While pointing out courtesy cannot be made mandatory, Roads Minister Duncan Gay said: "We see too much aggression on the roads with people abusing and flipping the bird at other motorists."ROUND THE BEND:NOT INDICATING 86%MERGING BADLY 84%ROUNDABOUTS 81%SPEEDING 80%CHANGING LANES 79%PENALTY OPTIONS:COURTESY CLASSES 52%DEMERIT POINTS 48%FINES 44%See full story at dailytelegraph.com.au