Released 22/06/2021
Between 29 February 2020 and 16 March 2020, a system which supports the issuing of infringement notices for speeding offences detected by a road safety camera was affected by software coding issues that did not correctly account for the 29 February 2020 leap year day.
The error affected infringement notices issued from ten speed cameras.
As a result, infringement penalty notices for speeding offences detected from those ten cameras during the relevant period were issued with an incorrect date.
The error was limited to the date on the infringement penalty notice. The evidentiary photograph of all detected incidents of speeding were time and date stamped correctly and were available to be viewed.
The ACT road safety camera devices measured speed correctly at all times.
The system error, which occurred due to a third-party vendor system fault, was quickly corrected once identified.
Access Canberra has engaged with the system vendor to ensure that the ‘leap year’ system error from 2020 will not reoccur in the future and that infringement penalty notices issued to motorists caught speeding contain the correct information. The vendor has implemented measures and provided assurances that this error will not reoccur.
Access Canberra is commissioning an independent check of the system to provide additional assurance that all issues relating to the recording of the time and date on infringement notices have been fully rectified. The outcomes of this assurance process will be made public.
In January 2021, Access Canberra wrote to each recipient of an affected infringement notice to explain the system error and to outline Access Canberra’s position that the notices are legally valid and enforceable.
A total of 623 infringement notices were issued with an incorrect date.
As of 22 June, 75 of these infringements currently remain unresolved. These infringements are at different stages of the infringement notice process. This includes licence or registration suspension, warning of suspension, and issuing of the infringement notice to another party following a declaration that the registered owner of the vehicle was not driving it at the time of the offence.
Anyone who has not yet actioned one of these infringements is encouraged to contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81 for assistance. Those who wish to dispute an infringement notice may elect to do so and have the matter referred to Court.
Where an infringement notice is disputed, the matter is referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Director of Public Prosecutions is an independent statutory officer responsible to institute, conduct, and supervise prosecutions and related proceedings.
The ACT community can continue to have confidence in the Territory’s road safety camera system. All road safety cameras in the ACT are tested every 12 months. This is to ensure they continue to operate correctly and remain accurate in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications.
Speed continues to be a major contributing factor to road crash trauma. The ACT’s road safety camera network is a vital tool for preventing speeding and unsafe driving practices, which endanger the community and are a major contributor to injury and death on ACT roads.
- Statement ends -
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