Speed Stunt Smoothes The Way For Lucas

Bingo. Queensland is to get its first fixed speed cameras - and the announcement, if not the execution, falls perfectly in the time frame one predicted at the end of last year.

Brisbane Sunday Mail journalists kindly provided the platform for State Transport Minister Paul Lucas to make the announcement after:

... reviewing the results of a Sunday Mail investigation which found motorists defying speed limits at notorious Brisbane black spots last week.

Lucas suggested:

... motorists would support the introduction of the cameras.

and no doubt polls, like the one running on-line at the Sunday Mail's website, and letters to the editor will support Lucas's view as government shills get out there and pump up the righteousness of the cause.

Lucas and Police Minister Judy Spence trot out the same old cliches and misleading stats throughout the announcement, none more grievous than:

"Sadly, the most alarming statistic during this period (the month of September) was our road toll," (Spence) said. "Already this year 271 people have been killed on our roads."

Indeed, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Queensland did have an increased fatality count in September and the total number of road deaths nationally in September 2006 was a 3.7% increase over the September 2005 figure. However:

The number of road deaths in 2006 to the end of September is 1,196 - this is a 1.3% decrease from the same 9 month period in 2005.

And comparing September this year to September last year is statistical silliness. The toll may be up, it may be down. The value lies in trends over many years, not just five or 10 but 20 or 30.

And when one looks at the national road toll, it is a miracle of safety compared to its horrendous peak in 1970.

Additionally, measuring the road toll in fatalties alone is the kind of stupidity only a journalist would sponsor.

Measured in the more telling deaths per kilometres travelled, our road toll is surprisingly low considering massive increases in vehicle movements over the years, coupled with the fact that Australian drivers are poorly trained for the task by the likes of Lucas's department and appallingly ill-behaved on the road.

But the raw figures make better headlines for journalists and politicians alike - and mean more dollars for government in The Cash-Strapped Catch-Up State of Queensland.

-- Nick