Drivers caught by cameras in a city centre 40kmh speed zone have paid almost $40 million in fines in less than two years.
Nearly 4000 infringements a month have been detected by the cameras on Northbourne Avenue and Barry Drive in the first four months this year, around 20 times the average before the limit changed.
The level of infringements in the contentious speed zone continues to sit significantly higher than the level of fines issued before the speed zone change, suggesting a significant number of drivers are yet to get the message about the lower limit.
In the first four months of 2021, before the speed limit was reduced, the same cameras detected an average 207 infringements a month.
More than 44 per cent of the infringements issued since the speed zone was changed in July 2021 have been issued between 10.01am and 3pm, new data has shown.
Almost 20 per cent of the fines were issued between 3.31pm and 7.00pm.
Between 7.30am and 10.00am, which covers the morning peak, 11.5 per cent of fines were issued.
The cameras detect speeding drivers as well as vehicles running red lights.
The ACT government had collected $38,370,053 in infringements from fines issued between July 1, 2021 and March 31, 2023.
"All revenue in relation to the collection of these infringements is transferred to the territory banking account," the government said.
"It is not possible to directly attribute these funds to specific programs as they are transferred alongside all other revenues collected on behalf of the territory and contribute towards government expenditure overall."
Speeding fines issued in Canberra increased by more than 155 per cent in the last financial year, the most significant increase in at least half a decade.
Professor Max Cameron, from Monash University's Accident Research Centre, has previously said he was unsurprised the introduction of the 40kmh zone in the city centre resulted in a high number of fines.
"There's two possible reactions I've seen in other places: it creates such a public outcry that the speed limit reduction is removed and that's a backward step in terms of road safety. Or secondly that the drivers actually change their behaviour and drive slower and that's really the aim of it," Professor Cameron said.
Professor Cameron, who had worked on a review of the ACT government's traffic camera network, said more mobile speed cameras were needed to genuinely change drivers' behaviour in Canberra.
The government had been justified to reduce the speed limit on Northbourne Avenue, he said.
Interstate drivers have also been caught by Northbourne Avenue and Barry Drive cameras at a higher rate than they are pinged in other parts of the city.
More than 45 per cent of infringements issued in the 40kmh zone between July 1, 2021 and October 31, 2022 were sent to motorists with cars registered interstate.
Across the ACT government's other speed cameras, 38.1 per cent of infringements are issued to interstate drivers.
The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal in April dismissed a Canberra driver's attempt to have his fines in the zone thrown out.
But the tribunal acknowledged the driver was "genuinely unaware" the speed limit had changed.
Heidi Robinson, a presidential member of the tribunal, acknowledged the driver's "sense of injustice" regarding the circumstances under which he had been fined, but was ultimately not satisfied the driver could not have been reasonably aware of the speed limit change.
More than 20,000 drivers were pinged in a three-month grace period from March 23, 2021, when the speed limit was changed in the area from 60kmh to 40kmh.
More than 1200 people were caught speeding in the zone on the first day fines were issued on July 1, 2021.
It instead spent $78,000 on variable signage in the city and on a public information campaign.
The government has said it installed more signage than was required under the Australian standard in the 40kmh zone.
A spokeswoman previously said additional signage was installed in July 2021, September 2021 and December 2021, following community feedback.
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