The Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) said that it has seen a marked reduction in the cases of speeding within the city in the five months since speed cameras came back online in January 2023 after being offline for over a year and a half.
Across all the speed-measuring systems under its jurisdiction, the JRA now records approximately 6,000 cases of speeding per day, it said.
“We have found a positive change in motorists’ behaviour; motorists are now aware of speed cameras being operational in the City of Johannesburg,” the agency told TopAuto.
“Comparing the fatalities during the time when there were no speed cameras and now it shows that there is a steady decline of fatalities since the inception of cameras, but from the Festive and Easter statistics received from the Department of Transport, we have seen that there are more pedestrians losing their lives on the road than motorists.”
Visible policing is also an important tool in the JRA’s arsenal, as it incentivises drivers to keep following the law even when cameras aren’t around.
“Both tactics complement one another. They are important and critical in ensuring that road safety is maintained within the City of Johannesburg,” said the agency.
Speed cameras in Joburg
There are two types of speed cameras mainly used in the Johannesburg area namely fixed cameras and portable scanners.
Fixed cameras are installed on urban and national roads to catch speeding drivers or those crossing red lights.
These devices record the following details:
- Date of offense
- Time of offense
- Location code
- Speed measured
- No obstructions apparent
- Where sensor lines are installed, a view of the whole width of the traffic lane covered by the lines
- At least two photographs indicating the position of the vehicle of the offender, with a clear image of the number plate
The tools make use of piezoelectric strips or radar technology to capture lawbreakers and they may be erected in any location that conforms to the Technical Committee for Standards and Procedures guidelines.
Similarly, portable speed guns work with the same radar-based technologies as their fixed counterparts but can be set up on any road by the city’s metro police department.
For fines to be valid if administered via a portable scanner, the traffic official that is actively using the device must have attended and passed a course on speed measurement and, if applicable, traffic light monitoring, as well as be in possession of a certificate that proves so.
In the event of being stopped, a driver may request a copy of these certificates as part of their rights under the National Road Traffic Act to determine whether the operator has the necessary qualifications to work the camera.
Additionally, these cameras must be calibrated at least once every 12 months by an accredited laboratory that will provide a calibration certificate upon doing so.
This certificate is a document with the serial number of the device, the date of the calibration, and the accredited laboratory’s details, and it can also be found on the unit itself, often in the form of a sticker.
The paperwork and operator certificate must be presentable whenever a motorist requests, else the fine could be declared unenforceable.
Join the discussion