If you’ve driven on any of the major motorways in New South Wales and South Australia, you may have seen a sign saying “Safe-T-Cam ahead”.
If you’re also like us, you may be curious as to what these cameras actually do, if they pick you up speeding or how they are even used to 'manage fatigue'.
Your curiosity may even be further extended if you use any of the major GPS applications, which show them as speed cameras.
We investigate everything you need to know about Safe-T-Cameras.
A Safe-T-Cam is like a seatbelt, average-speed and registration camera all in one.
Safe-T-Cams have been in use in New South Wales since 1992, when the state traffic authority, then known as the RTA, employed them for use along major haulage routes. They are also used in other Australian states but are not signposted or have a different name.
That means that the Safe-T-Cam can detect unregistered and/or uninsured vehicles, fatigue offences relating to travel between two or more cameras, attempts to avoid detection at the camera site, and failures to enter inspection stations. These cameras will also nab speeding trucks.
They work by automatically logging vehicles passing through them, which Heavy Vehicle Safety Stations (HVSS) can use as evidence to prove if a driver has forged their hours or exceeded the amount of time they are allowed to drive.
Heavy vehicle drivers must adhere to strict logbook rules that require them to rest for a certain period, depending on their work hours. The specific guidelines for heavy vehicle drivers can be found here.
Fines can range from $4470 for a minor risk breach up to a maximum of $22,790.
Do Safe-T-Cams apply to cars?
Despite the major GPS applications showing these sections as speed cameras, Safe-T-Cams do not currently apply to light vehicles.
While there are currently no plans to switch them on for light vehicles, the technology exists for them to possibly be used for seatbelt, mobile phone, and registration monitoring.
Similarly to average-speed cameras in New South Wales, the state has 35 average-speed camera locations. Still, they have historically only been switched on for heavy vehicles, meaning that speeding motorists in light vehicles could theoretically exceed the limit while passing through without any penalty.
However, average-speed cameras are currently being trialled for all vehicles travelling on the Hume Highway between Coolac and Gundagai and the Pacific Highway between Kew and Lake Innes.
Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
