Key focus area—Traffic enforcement

Enforcing the road rules is a core part of QPS business. This is reflected in our organisational structure, which includes permanent traffic branches in most of our police districts. Operational Performance Reviews consider the performance of regions and districts in traffic enforcement and other priority areas. On any given day, police officers are conducting breath tests, operating speed detection devices, patrolling our highways and responding to traffic complaints reported by members of the public.

In addition to these duties, the Service directs extra attention to particular problems and risk areas as they arise. This may mean putting extra police on the roads during school holidays and long weekends when we know more people are travelling longer distances. At a local level, police may conduct targeted operations to reduce a particular behaviour such as drink driving or ignoring fatigue management laws.

Traffic infringement notices or ‘tickets’ are an on-the-spot fine that can be issued for a variety of traffic offences such as failing to wear a seatbelt, failing to stop at a stop sign, driving a vehicle that is unroadworthy, speeding and driving unaccompanied as a learner driver. During the 2008 calendar year, Queensland Police Service officers issued 1 061 699 tickets for traffic offences.

Speed management strategy

Speed management is an important area within traffic policing, because evidence clearly shows reducing travel speed reduces both the number and the severity of crashes. The QPS commenced the Speed Camera Program in 1997 as part of Queensland’s Speed Management Strategy. At the commencement of the program, five per cent of vehicles monitored by speed cameras were detected committing an offence. The success of the program is indicated by the reduction in this level to 1.06 per cent during 2008-09.

The Police Service operated 30 speed cameras during the reporting period. In addition to speed camera operations during 2008-09, the Police Service allocated 220 734 officer hours towards non-camera on-road speed enforcement.

To reduce the number of crashes at intersections controlled by traffic signals, the Police Service uses 35 red light cameras, rotated across 140 sites in Queensland. During 2008-09, over 37 265 red light camera detected infringement notices were issued, which equated to 0.05% of the total number of vehicles monitored.

Fixed speed cameras

This year the Service has continued to utilise the fixed cameras and has received approval to expand the program. The first of a new generation of digital cameras, which will allow faster and cheaper processing of infringement notices, will be rolled out in 2009-10.

Q-cars and speed camera vans

For our roads to truly be safer, drivers need to obey the speed limit even when they don’t see police watching and, this year, two new initiatives were introduced to reinforce the message that speeding drivers can be detected ‘anywhere, anytime’.

The use of unmarked police cars known as ‘Q-Cars’ was expanded following a very successful trial in 2007-08. These cars allow police to target a variety of dangerous traffic offences, not just speed, where conventional enforcement strategies may not be effective.

Three unmarked speed camera vans are being trialled for 12 months in three regions: North Coast, Southern and South Eastern regions. It is expected that this strategy will enhance on-road policing and reduce road trauma. The trial was approved by Government in November 2008 and the vehicles became operational in mid December 2008.

At the end of the 2008-09 financial year, the Toyota Landcruiser speed camera vans had been phased out and replaced with Nissan Patrols and Mitsubishi Pajeros. Mercedes Vitos have also been introduced into the fleet and a range of other vehicles are currently being considered to complement mobile operations.

Priority Policing Policy

In 2008, the Priority Policing Policy was developed to enhance first response policing in Queensland.

Under the policy, existing police resources are directed into frontline duties as necessary to address peaks in calls for service and maximise police response capacity.

One strategy being effectively employed in relation to road safety is the deployment of non-operational officers over holiday periods. A strong, visible policing presence on Queensland roads is an essential element of the QPS road safety response.

Statewide, QPS officers worked more than 50 000 hours during the 2008 National Christmas Road Safety Campaign. Officers intercepted more than 216 000 vehicles and more than 50 800 offences were recorded, ranging from drivers not wearing their seatbelts to speeding. More than 205 300 random breath tests were conducted during the period which was an increase of 38 percent from last year.

Operation Boost involved the deployment of nonoperational officers performing traffic duties during this period. Staff from the academy and headquarters provided approximately 4 500 hours of enforcement; conducted 10 000 random breath tests; and issued 32 notices to appear and 525 traffic infringement notices.

Over the 2009 National Easter Campaign, and as part of this deployment strategy, extra police officers performed duties across the 4 day period which equated to an additional 5 440 hours. These additional police were directly involved with targeted road safety initiatives across Queensland.

Motorcycle patrols

One of the key strategies detailed in the Government’s Smart Moves Mobility Strategy and Action Plan involves the deployment of additional dedicated police motorcycle patrols on motorways during peak hour traffic to manage traffic incidents and reduce associated traffic congestion and lane closures.

A trial involving the deployment of additional police motorcyclists commenced on 1 September 2008 and concluded on 28 November 2008.

This initiative significantly contributed to reducing the impact of traffic incidents on motorways and major arterial roads across South East Queensland. During the trial, over 1 570 incidents and 140 crashes were attended to and the average duration of incidents due to traffic crashes was reduced by 30% (from 1 hour 12 minutes to 47 minutes). Over the next two years, further funding will be provided for the purchase of 12 additional police motorcycles to boost incident response capability in South East Queensland.

2009 Back to School traffic campaign

Increased enforcement during the 2009 Back to School traffic safety campaign resulted in double the number of motorists caught speeding near schools than in the previous year’s campaign.

Infringement notices for speeding within school zones were issued to 1 277 motorists over the four-day period 27 January to 30 January. A further 41 people were detected not wearing a seat belt or not having children properly restrained in vehicles.

Police officers worked for 825 hours enforcing speed limits in dedicated school zones during this year’s campaign, compared to 431 hours over the corresponding period in 2008.

Deterring drink driving

The Random Breath Testing Program is based on the principle of ‘general deterrence,’ which aims to achieve widespread changes in driver behaviour by maximising the exposure of drivers to police enforcement.

The QPS conducted 2 835 802 breath tests in 2008-09 and completed in excess of 213 354 hours on breath testing duties.

During 2008-09, 1.8% of all breath tests were positive. In the previous year (2007-08) 1.2% were positive. The Service’s Drink Rite program promotes a responsible attitude towards alcohol consumption and drink driving. The program demonstrates to the public how few drinks it may take to exceed the legal limits set for driving and reinforces the message that attempting to estimate breath alcohol concentration levels is difficult and not recommended. The program also demonstrates the benefits of drinking low versus high alcohol beverages.

There were 32 Drink Rite events facilitated by Police during 2008-09. The Australian Alcohol Guidelines are currently under review to ensure consistency of goals and standards.

New equipment to manage traffic

A range of new equipment has been obtained to enhance traffic policing, including:

• additional Lion Intoxilyzer 8000 Evidential Breath Analysis Instruments to ensure the Service complies with recently introduced National Measurement Institute recommendations for evidential breath analysing instruments (221 were rolled out over a three year period from 2006-09)
• 234 new Lidar speed detection devices to target speeding in Queensland—this has boosted the police pool of Lidars to more than 600 statewide
• 12 new Micro Digi-Cam (MDC) devices and laptops have been distributed to the regions, bringing the total number of MDCs deployed to 16 (2 per region)
• three 3D terrestrial laser scanners that enable Forensic Crash Unit officers to survey the scenes of major and or complex crash scenes. As a result, the road can be reopened to traffic as soon as possible to reduce the impact of the associated congestion on the road network.

The rollout of the new Lion Alcolmeter SD-400 Plus roadside breath testing devices is expected to be completed by early 2010. These devices capture the GPS coordinates for each breath test. This data will be loaded into the Intelligent Traffic Analysis System (I-TAS) and provide the Service with the ability to map breath testing activity in relation to alcohol related crash locations.

All marked patrol vehicles, except 12 due for replacement in 2009-10, have been fitted with the new high visibility decals. The Hi-Vis program includes the highly successful ‘Highway Patrol’ vehicle program. These vehicles are a highly visible and distinctively marked bright red colour. The initial fleet of ten ‘Highway Patrol’ vehicles has now been expanded to 21.

Joint north coast communications centre

The Service undertook a joint service delivery initiative with the Department of Transport and Main Roads to provide a joint North Coast Region Police Communications Centre to initially service the Sunshine Coast, Caboolture and Redcliffe police districts. The communications facility will have a live feed from all Department of Transport and Main Roads cameras throughout the region to assist in traffic management and reduce delays associated with traffic incidents.

The centre will become operational in August 2009.

Road safety awareness radio program

During the year Metropolitan South Region in partnership with Bay FM 100.3 aired a 10 minute weekly Road Safety Awareness program. The program informed listeners of relevant legislation, attitudinal driving workshops, operations and road safety initiatives in order to improve awareness and road safety.

Traffic enforcement on the Gold Coast

On a continuing basis, Gold Coast police are specifically targeting the anti-social driving behaviour of hoons. These activities have been enhanced by participation of officers from the State Traffic Task Force and Queensland Transport and have resulted in a decrease in hoon activity.

Variable message signs

The Sunshine Coast District in partnership with the Department of Transport and Main Roads developed a number of traffic enforcement warnings to be displayed at peak times throughout the school holiday period. Messages displayed included ‘Sunshine Coast Police now targeting drink driving’ and ‘Beware, is there a Q-car behind you?’ Eleven fixed variable message signs on the Bruce Highway and Sunshine Motorways were utilised to assist during police road safety campaigns.

Traffic safety sign

Far Northern Region in partnership with the Department of Transport and Main Roads invented an innovative prototype traffic safety sign. The sign helps protect motorists and responding emergency service workers at the scene of traffic crashes and interception sites.

Officers can erect the sign some distance from the crash to warn of the danger ahead. It takes only seconds to erect, is highly reflective at night and can be rolled up to fit into the boot of any vehicle. This traffic safety sign was an award winner in the Innovation category at the 2008 Queensland Road Safety Awards in October.

Key future initiatives

Road safety related initiatives scheduled for implementation during 2009-10 include:

• engaging additional specialist traffic officers (as the second year of a Government commitment to deliver 106 additional traffic officers over two years)
• continuing the fixed speed camera rollout • completing the Digital Integrated Traffic Camera System
• maintaining the current speed and red light camera operations and public education programs aimed at reducing road trauma
• deploying a police presence in the Brisbane Metropolitan Transport Management Centre (BMTMC). It is expected that police deployments to the BMTMC will commence in September 2009.