AI cameras used as safety measure

Speed cameras are now up on Pearson Street near Churchlands Primary School. Anything that slows drivers down around kids is welcome.

Parents and locals have long called this stretch speed-plagued, and they were right to keep raising it. The cameras are the State Government’s answer, and we’ll be watching closely to see whether they work.

The early numbers from the first site at Soldiers Road in Mundijong are interesting; there were 833 infringements in seven weeks. Sixty-three drivers were doing more than 30km/h over the limit, and one driver was caught eight times.

Cameras that catch people are one thing. Cameras that change behaviour are another.

Time will tell whether Pearson Street sees fewer speeders, or just more fines. Three things will show us:

• Fewer infringements over time. The number should fall as drivers learn the zone is watched.

• Transparency. The data should be published so the community can see the results.

• Revenue going where it was promised. The Government says all of it will go back into road safety. We’ll hold it to that.

Cameras alone won’t make school zones safe. Safer crossings, better intersections and drivers who slow down every time all matter just as much.