The State Government will engage the community as part of its plan to expand Western Australia’s red light and speed camera fleet over the next five years.

Releasing the five-year-plan, Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey announced that the State Government would increase the number of red light cameras from 30 to 90; raise the number of fixed cameras from five to 30; and increase the hours mobile speed cameras are in operation.

This will be supported by a range of measures to ensure the camera strategy is transparent and accountable, which may include extra signage, camera information on the internet, and an annual review of road safety effectiveness.

“We want the community to know cameras are for their safety, so we will look at ways the public can access relevant information and understand how they are saving lives,” she said.

All funds raised from penalties will go into the Road Trauma Trust Account (RTTA).

The Minister said fixed cameras at high-volume traffic areas were the fastest way to change driver behaviour, while increased mobile camera hours would target crash hot spots. Red light cameras reduced intersection crashes by an average of sixty per cent after installation.

“Three hundred of the extra camera hours are already in use in the South-West and Great Southern regions where we had a high number of crashes last year,” she said.

“Speed and red light cameras are internationally recognised as the quickest way to improve driver behaviour on a large scale.”

Mrs Harvey said the extra cameras would bring WA more into line with Victoria and New South Wales which had the lowest rate of fatalities in the country.

The Minister said the camera fleet would complement the $100 million investment this year in other road safety initiatives, including road safety treatments and school and community education.

“The rate of fatalities had dropped about 23 per cent since this Government began its Towards Zero road safety campaign in 2008. We remain relentless in further reducing road trauma through safer roads, enforcement and education,” she said.