It used to be that car companies would kill to have their cars seen with stars. That seems to be changing if a frightening development in Melbourne is an indicator.  The Melbourne F1 Grand Prix used to attract spectators and sponsors with a celebrity race. The celebs of course did not race their own cars. To make it a fair and even-handed race where only driving skill decides, they were handed cars supplied by a sponsor. This year, the luminary laps are a scratch. Oh, there is no shortage of stars. There just aren’t any cars. The organizers could not find a sponsor that was able to supply the more than 25 cars needed.

“We’ve just finalized the line-up and the celebrity challenge is not part of that,” Melbourne Grand Prix chief Andrew Westacott told the Herald Sun.“It simply came down to the fact that we couldn’t find an auto provider that had cars coming on to the market that they could supply in time. It was not through lack of trying.”

Last year, Lexus sponsored the event and supplied CT200 hybrids worth $39,990 each to celebrities “such as aerial skier Jacqui Cooper, models Rhys Uhlich and Kasia Z and former AFL star Saverio Rocca.”

Westacott said it was a sign of the tough economic times the auto industry was facing.

Could be. Or maybe cars are selling so well that they are in short supply? Or the budget has been blown on influencing social media influencers?  Or sponsors expect (this should rile the Aussies) real stars in exchange for a fleet of cars?

Disclaimer: Cars for Stars® is a registered trademark of Cars for Stars Limited. Community Trade Mark No. 4767679 – UK Trade Mark No. 2345169. Also see here.

GM sources which requested anonymity, citing possible legal implications, mentioned to TTAC that the attacks have “all signs of a coordinated campaign.” That is putting it mildly.

Responsibility as initiators of the campaign was assumed on November 11 by an Italian splinter group named Saabway Club.

On November 16, Saabsunited, the fanzine for the zombie brand, reported that “the on-line Saab community have started one action to let GM know that we are still alive and here.” Then, the fanzine  could not help it and sent out a call to action to the Saab faithful: “Time to act?”

Yesterday, former Saabsunited-owner-turned-Saab-PR-flack Steven Wade decided to say to hell with the timid question marks, he broke cover and published on the official inside.saab website what can only be read as endorsement and encouragement of the virtual occupation:

“I want to acknowledge this fan-based movement, started and sustained by Saab enthusiasts on Facebook, using the social media tools freely available to them and everyone who uses the site. We have observed the movement and I want you to know that as always, your faith in our products and your desire to see Saab successful is a great morale boost for all who work with Saab.”

In a rather clumsy CYA attempt, Wade (and Saab) urge Saab fans to conduct the occupation “with respect and dignity.”

What represents respect and dignity is not defined. However, Wade and Saab say that “99.9% of people” have shown such respect and dignity during the occupation, and “there will always be one or two, however, who get a little too enthusiastic in getting their point across.” The reader remains without information of where the limit is and who the one or two that overstepped the boundaries may have been. 99.9 percent of the occupiers of GM’s site received a wholesale thumbs up from Saab.

We can safely assume that the call for respect and dignity is a throwaway statement, and that Saab’s on-line spokesperson and all-around hero of the true believers encourages the Saabinistas to continue the siege of GM’s Facebook site.

What we see here is perfect proof that Saab has fallen in the hands of rank amateurs, from Victor Muller down to its chubby wannabe flack from down-under. The true art of flackery often is practiced in what you don’t say.

In this case, if you are Saab, you want to look the other way and act as if you have seen nothing. If someone asks you, you say that as a matter of policy, you don’t comment on other carmakers. Only if you want to commit public relations suicide, you express sympathy and support for the squatters. And only if you are absolutely delirious or had too much Absolut, you sit down and demonstrate that sympathy and support in an official company blog.

With Vladimir Antonov accused of raping two of his banks and funneling funds to Saab, with salaries unpaid again, with unions most likely on their way to bankruptcy court on Monday, with no more money from China, Saab requires all the friends it can get. What it needs most is GM. GM can block any sale of Saab. Saab needs to remain in GM’s good graces.

Saab needs to be careful in what it wishes for. GM could act favorably to the “Let Saab go” demands and indeed will let Saab go.

To hell.

P.S.: The Italian initiators of the campaign took note of the official recognition, and vowed to continue the jihad with the required respect and dignity.

China’s assault on the auto markets of the west may have been delayed another five years, but Australia is going to be the canary in the coal mine. The first mature Western-style market to see any significant imports of Chinese vehicles, led by the Chery J1, is adapting to a new era of low-cost, low-content cars. And it seems that the Chinese OEMs are right to be waiting for future generations of vehicles, as the J1 seems unlikely to make even the impact that Hyundai’s departed Excel made. One reason: safety. Or lack thereof. Hit the the jump to see what we’re on about.

Not wildly inspiring, is it? On the other hand, it could be worse: after all, Holden’s Barina (a rebadged Daewoo Kalos/Chevy Aveo) got a similar two-star rating back in 2005. So, weak safety scores alone shouldn’t keep the J1 back…

Similarly, the marketing for the new Chery is weak… but not fatally, embarrassingly bad. To wit

But, if we look to South Africa, which has already been exposed to earlier Cherys, the perception of the J1 is something along the lines of the recent crop of Chrysler 200 reviews: still not competitive but a huge improvement. Or, in the words of this reviewer, a “scarily large improvement.”

In short, the J1 seems to represent a step in the development of China’s car industry: better than the rolling jokes of even a few years ago, but still not ready for primetime in the Western markets. And if China makes the most of the next five years of development, the next wave of export-oriented Chinese cars could begin to make the kind of impact we’ve seen from Hyundai over the last several decades. But neither the Koreans nor the Chinese will enjoy the opportunity afforded the Japanese, which came into the US just as Detroit’s automakers were fatally losing their way in a rapidly-changing market. If China’s going to make good on the angst it inspires in the Western automakers, it’s going to have to earn it vehicle by vehicle, generation by generation. This is only the beginning.

Opponents of red light cameras and speed cameras have had an impact on the bottom line of one of the world’s largest photo enforcement providers. Redflex Traffic Systems reported a “slowdown in the level of new contracts signed” that dragged the firm’s US traffic camera revenue down $2.4 million in the 2011 financial year. Redflex lost $1.5 million worth of US contracts this year.

Redflex is not alone. Competitor American Traffic Solutions (ATS) saw major setbacks in two of the country’s largest cities. Los Angeles, California canceled its contract and Houston, Texas is poised to end ticketing after residents voted last November to prohibit red light cameras.

The company blamed a number of factors for lower than expected profits. The US dollar’s parity with the Australian dollar has meant that money paid by American motorists lost 12.5 percent of its value over the course of the year as the funds were transferred to Australian accounts. Redflex also wasted $2.5 million in a failed attempt to sell itself to Macquarie Bank.

“The general slowdown in the US economy post the global financial crisis continues to make for a challenging business environment in North America,” the company reported. “This financial year, Redflex has focused its efforts on strengthening its business model through tighter contract language, more aggressive collection efforts in key markets, strengthening its information technology infrastructure to become more efficient, and focusing on new products and services for growth outside of red light and speed enforcement programs…. A ballot initiative seeking to prohibit Redflex’s photo enforcement program in Port Lavaca, Texas was blocked through litigation.”

Despite the disappointing US results, the company told investors on the Australian Securities Exchange that, overall, net profit for the year was $10 million on $140 million in automated ticketing revenue, a sharp rise from 2010′s dismal showing of $442,000 in net profit before tax. The positive overall financial result came courtesy of the Middle East where government demands drove a 51 percent increase in international business revenue. The biggest windfall came from automated ticketing machines in Saudi Arabia and orders for new cameras in Abu Dhabi.

Redflex shares currently trade at $1.76, down substantially from the $2.75 offered under the Macquarie buyout deal earlier this year.

[Courtesy: Thenewspaper.com]

The auditor general for New South Wales, Australia last month issued a report on speed camera use in the state. The Liberal Party government had ordered the review after it took power at the end of March. Following the results, thirty-eight camera locations have been taken offline.

As with the like-minded Conservative Party in the UK, NSW Liberals did not set out not to end the use of photo enforcement which generated 371,015 tickets worth $58,117,038 last year. Instead, the party’s leaders are taking steps reduce the number of cameras and reverse the ruling Labor Party policies that kept safety, operational and revenue data for individual cameras a closely guarded secret. No effort had been made to evaluate the program since 2005.

Auditor-General Peter Achterstraat set out to answer whether speed cameras were located in areas identified as having greatest road safety risk and whether the number of crashes were reduced following their installation. Achterstraat pronounced the system a success.

“Overall speeding and crashes reduced after the introduction of fixed speed cameras,” Achterstraat wrote. “The results are mixed when examining individual cameras, with crashes decreasing at some locations but not at others.”

The audit’s formal definition of a “successful” speed camera location included those places where there was no change in the number of accidents at all. The analysis found that 141 fixed speed camera locations, only 40 had statistically significant accident reductions, 38 had increases and 63 saw no significant change. This distribution of variation in crash rates is consistent with the assumption that cameras have no effect at all.

The audit looked at three years of data before and three years after, even though most of the cameras have been in place for at least eight years. In the US, the fatal accident rate has dropped significantly over time without significant speed camera use. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 1.09 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled last year, down from the 1.13 fatality rate for 2009 — the lowest rate since 1949. The rate was 1.73 in 1994.

Achterstraat noted that one out of five speed camera citations are issued to drivers exceeding the speed limit by 6 MPH or less for a $90 fine, but this did not mean that the cameras were set up to be a monetary trap. Seventy-three percent of tickets went to those accused of driving between 7 and 12 MPH over the limit for a $211 fine. The maximum speed camera fine in NSW is $1987.

“We found no evidence that potential revenue is a factor in decisions on where cameras are located,” Achterstraat wrote. “Some [members of the public] sought to break the nexus between speeding and revenue-raising by suggesting abolishing monetary fines for speeding and replacing them with non-monetary sanctions…. All of these suggestions would impact on the revenue to government and therefore on the level of services that government could fund.”

[Courtesy: Thenewspaper.com]

GM still won’t comment on the matter, but a recent rumor that the Cruze’s two-liter diesel engine will be federalized for the 2013 model-year has been confirmed to the AP [via the DetN] by “two people briefed on GM product plans.” That motor, designed by VM Motori and built since 2006 by GM-Daewoo, was recently updated to Euro 6 standards, and according to the Holden website, the Australian-spec version makes 160 HP (at 3,800 RPM) and 236 lb-ft (at 1,750 RPM), while returning 42 MPG (combined with manual transmission) or 35 MPG (combined, automatic). Of course those aren’t EPA numbers, and they could easily change by the time the engine is certified for US emissions standards.

With VW capacity-constrained in its ability to sell more diesels in the US market while enjoying take rates near 75% on the Jetta Sportwagon, GM clearly thinks there’s room to jump into the diesel game and offer efficiency that the AP says “would rival the the popular Toyota Prius gas-electric hybrid.” But will those numbers, and more importantly the VM’s notorious roughness (Australia’s The Motor Report notes “It’s pretty clattery from outside, and an old-school diesel rattle can be heard inside the cabin when accelerating”), be as attractive two years from now as a VW TDI is today? Just as importantly, does this herald the coming of the Cruze wagon as well?

Though it doesn’t get the play it deserves in the auto media, Project Better Place is one of the most ambitious, potentially disruptive plays anywhere in the world of cars, uniquely positioning itself to eliminate the biggest shortcomings of electric vehicles. TTAC was on hand when the “end-to-end” EV services firm opened its first battery swap station in Israel, and now the firm has launched its first European swap station in Denmark. Better Place’s single model, the Renault Fluence Z.E won’t be widely available in either of the two initial launch markets until later this year, but having sold over 70,000 of its initial order of 100k units from Renault, Better Place is keeping its foot on the gas… er, juice.

Earlier this year, BP signed a deal with GM’s Australian division Holden and several suppliers, to develop large, rear-drive sedans based on the (Zeta Platform) Commodore. At the time, we noted

This project is highly significant on a number of levels. First, battery-swap-enabled large sedans operating in Australia could show the way forward for the US, by breaking stereotypes about EV size, capability and operating environments. Second, the project marks the first sign of flirtation between General Motors and Project Better Place’s battery-swap-based business.

And that initial challenge, proving that BP’s battery-swap infrastructure can provide “unlimited range” EV motoring at relatively low costs (thanks to its unique battery-leasing arrangement) outside of tiny, densely-populated markets like Israel and Denmark, is one that the firm is eager to conquer. And so BP is building on pilot testing in Canberra, Australia, by announcing that the first Fluence Z.Es will begin arriving Australia in the middle of next year. Cars will first arrive in Canberra, and Australia-wide sales will follow, and according to the firm’s press release

By 2013 Better Place will give Australia the largest electric car charge network in the world, which is expected to outpace current deployment plans in market-leading countries including the US and China.

If Better Place can build momentum and create a viable market for its EV scheme in Australia, there’s no reason it can’t do so in the US. Keep an eye on these guys…

A November study by the University of Adelaide recommended that a commission be established to review the placement and use of speed cameras in South Australia. Last month, the state parliament rejected any suggestion that policies relating to automated ticketing could be questioned.

As part of a parliamentary internship program, a research report reviewed existing research and applied the findings to the road safety situation in South Australia. The results were provided to Ivan Venning, a Liberal Party member of House of Assembly, who attempted on May 19 to win approval for a select committee to examine the use and effectiveness of photo enforcement. During debate, Venning pointed out several other states were currently conducting reviews of their own.

“People are fed up with being used as cash cows by the government when the accuracy of the use of speed lasers is called into question, and it compounds public frustration and anger,” Venning said. “The New South Wales O’Farrell government is, today, undertaking an audit on speed camera use and effectiveness, and I commend it for that. The Victorian government is also undertaking an examination of the issue; Ted Baillieu has appointed a camera ombudsman. I think it is high time for a full scale review to be undertaken here.”

Labor Party member of parliament Tony Piccolo succeeded in a 23-18 vote to replace Venning’s motion with a statement that the parliament “has confidence in and supports the efforts of the Commissioner of Police in ensuring the effectiveness of speed cameras.”

The South Australian report noted that from 1990 to 2002, South Australia issued 2.4 million photo tickets and collected A$283 million in revenue, but road deaths in 2000 were higher than they were in 1992. In terms of camera placement, the most lucrative photo ticketing locations were not on the list of most dangerous roads — with the exception of sites in Adelaide and Morphett Vale.

“Thirty-seven percent of cameras in the study were placed directly inside a rural town on a rural street, even though the data above demonstrates that only 4.2 percent of accidents occur in these areas,” the report noted.

The study recommended giving local police responsibility for positioning cameras instead of the current system where locations are selected by the state police. It also recommended increase transparency and consideration of alternatives to cameras.

“The idea that speed cameras reduce speeds, accidents and fatalities is often too simplified,” the report concluded. “As studies have shown, there are a number of other factors that can affect the use of speed cameras and a number of road safety measures that can help reduce the road toll… by simply focusing on speed and speed cameras to reduce the road toll, policymakers are ignoring other factors which contribute to the complex causes of accidents.”

A copy of the report is available in a 1mb PDF file at the source link below.

Source: Speed Cameras: Life Savers or Revenue Raisers? (University of Adelaide, 11/8/2010)

[Courtesy:Thenewspaper.com]

A government labor relations board in Australia yesterday upheld the firing of an employee busted for driving a speed camera van at more than double the speed limit. Stuart Rollo appealed to Fair Work Australia after he was terminated by Serco Traffic Camera Services in Victoria on December 10 for driving 102km/h (63 MPH) 50km/h (31 MPH) zone. On Thursday Commissioner G.R. Smith determined the firing was warranted by the circumstances.

The government of Victoria granted Serco the right to issue automated speeding tickets. The firm hired Rollo to drive the photo enforcement vehicle to a given location and turn on the equipment. Each speed camera van was equipped with a GPS tracking device that allowed remote monitoring of the vehicle’s location and speed.

On October 22 a Victoria Police unit photographed Rollo driving a speed van at 87 km/h (54 MPH) in an 80 km/h zone (50 MPH) and the citation was mailed to Serco. This prompted company officials to examine Rollo’s driving history, as recorded by the GPS device. This audit uncovered that Rollo in September had been driving up to 113 km/h (70 MPH) in a 100 km/h (62 MPH) zone — well within the tolerance for which an ordinary Australian motorist would receive a ticket. It also confirmed his blast at more than twice the legal limit on October 22.

Although speed camera firms have argued in court that GPS data is unreliable when used by a motorist to defend against a speeding ticket, in this case Serco asked Ben Ditford, the major projects and account manager for Mobile Tracking and Data Pty Ltd to testify that the GPS tracking unit produced information far more accurate than a speedometer.

“I accept the evidence of Mr Ditford and I find the GPS equipment on the Serco vehicles is reliable,” Smith wrote in his decision. “In any event, to the extent that errors may exist, I find, on Mr Ditford’s evidence, that it is unlikely that any error could lead to the equipment not being able to discern the difference between 50 km/h and 102 km/h.”

Rollo argued that he was never told that his speed would be monitored by GPS and that the device was only meant to verify that vehicles were properly positioned throughout the day. Rollo also argued that he had been speeding because he had a medical condition and needed to go to the bathroom. Smith rejected the argument because Rollo had never raised the subject with his employer and he only mentioned this once the case reached the cross-examination stage. Smith questioned the man’s honesty.

“Mr Rollo has not accepted that he knew he was speeding,” Smith wrote. “However this does not sit comfortably with the evidence of Mr Fryer who said that Mr Rollo admitted to him that he may have set off a speed camera on the night in question. This evidence was consistent with the GPS data which showed there was a sudden drop in speed immediately after the speed camera detected him exceeding the speed limit. I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Mr Rollo was not unaware of the fact that he was traveling at a speed which was above the speed limit.”

Smith concluded that this amounted to serious misconduct and Rollo’s summary dismissal was warranted. A copy of the decision is available in a 150k PDF file at the source link below.

Source: Rollo v. Serco Traffic Camera (Fair Work Australia, 5/26/2011)

[Courtesy:Thenewspaper.com]

Australian investors in the photo enforcement firm Redflex Traffic Systems voted down a buyout offer from toll road giant Macquarie Bank and the asset management firm Carlyle Group at a general meeting in Melbourne today. The recently sweetened deal would have paid A$2.75 per share, or $305 million total, to take over the speed camera and red light camera business.

“Your directors unanimously recommend that shareholders vote in favor of the improved scheme proposal, in the absence of a superior proposal,” Redflex Chairman Max Findlay told assembled shareholders. “I can confirm that no superior proposal has been received.”

Redflex management had spent more than three years trying to sell the company. The process involved approaching over forty potential buyers, with none exceeding Macquarie’s bid. Once rumors of the potential buyout began circulating in June, the stock soared from $1.53 per share to its current level of $2.61 on the hopes of a quick cash-in. With the deal off the table, share prices are likely to plunge once the Australian Securities Exchange lifts the trading halt.

Approval of the deal required the assent of 75 percent of shareholders, but the motion only received 63.4 percent support. The deal fell through by almost exactly the 11.1 percent directly controlled by former Redflex Chairman Chris Cooper and his wife. The move is a major financial blow to the large investment firms Thorney Holdings Ltd, Hunter Hall and Renaissance which control a significant portion of Redflex stock. In November 2009, these firms forced Cooper to resign, saying Cooper was not “appropriately qualified, experienced and competent to manage Redflex’s affairs.”

Cooper’s revenge also will cost Redflex executives millions in payouts they would have received had the deal gone through. Cooper has long believed the long-term worth of Redflex was far greater than the amount on offer from companies like Macquarie.

As Redflex does much of its business in the United States, that long-term value is an open question. So far, fifteen states have banned automated ticketing machines. Redflex also faces significant assaults on its largest market, California, in the form of an anti-camera voter initiatives, appellate courts throughout the state finding red light camera ticket evidence inadmissible and a growing number of cities deciding to drop red light cameras entirely. These include Loma Linda and Whittier, Moreno Valley, San Carlos, Union City, Yucaipa and Costa Mesa. In November 2010, 73 percent of Anaheim residents voted to ban cameras. Cupertino, Compton, El Monte, Fairfield, Fresno, Fullerton, Indian Wells, Irvine, Maywood, Montclair, Paramount, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Roseville, San Jose (photo radar), Santa Fe Springs, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa, and Upland have rejected their automated ticketing programs.

[Courtesy:Thenewspaper.com]

The waves of the March 11 tsunami did not really impact Australia. But the aftershocks do – in a big way. Toyota Australia will cut production at its factory in Altona, Victoria state, in half for a whopping two months because of missing parts, says The Nikkei [sub].

Toyota’s is not alone: Ford announced today that it will cut back Australian vehicle production by 20 percent, and will lay off 240 workers.

Toyota Australia said that it will produce 9,600 vehicles in the two months. With a production cut in half, it is a fair assumption that it will cost them 9,600 cars, missing on the domestic and export markets.

Toyota will not lay off any workers and will find other employment for its 3,300 staff while the plant runs half day shifts.

In the meantime, the Financial Times puts the tsunami and the following nuclear disaster in the proper perspective: “Tepco makes Lehman seem a mere bagatelle. All talk about the earthquake and tsunami affecting only a small part of Japan’s gross domestic product looks optimistic. If power cuts carry on for the rest of the year, or longer, the very heart of Japan’s economy will be on life support.”

We here at TTAC can only read and nod. Two days after the tsunami, we wrote: “Power shortages to impact Japanese car production for months to come.” We didn’t predict that the very heart of Japan’s industry will be ripped out – but we write about cars, and we aren’t on the heart beat.

The employee of a photo enforcement firm was arrested in Victoria, Australia yesterday after being accused of adjusting the speed readings in a database of photo tickets. Police believe the man identified as a 36-year-old from Craigieburn changed the date, time, speeds and other variables on a total of 67,541 red light camera and speed camera citations. The data were altered between February and March while the man worked for Serco, the private firm in charge of ticketing operations.

“The data changes have had no impact on any infringement issued in relation to the speed or red light camera system,” a police news release claimed. “No infringements have been issued to motorists with incorrect data and there is no ongoing impact to any infringements to be issued.”

Victoria police have a history of insisting all of its tickets are accurate, regardless of problems uncovered with hardware. Last year, cameras run by Redflex Traffic Systems were found to have faulty speed calculation mechanism, but officials only conceded that nine tickets out of the 68,000 issued were bogus. Similarly, in 2003 police insisted speed cameras on the Hume Highway were accurate until extreme public pressure forced the refund of $26 million in tickets.

In this case, the police E-Crime Squad began investigating after the contractor noticed changes had been made to the database records. National Motorists Association Executive Director Gary Biller believes this sort of problem is to be expected from a system that dispense tickets without human intervention.

“Stories of hackers accessing and tampering with stored data in red-light and speed cameras are not unique to Victoria,” Biller told TheNewspaper. “This latest incident does highlight the problem of trying to track crime by database, which is an apt description of photo enforcement. Can a defendant’s rights truly be protected without the ability to question in court a live witness to the alleged crime?”

Just such a mistake saw Harmony Henke, 29, falsely arrested in Maroochydore, Queensland on February 25. Henke had received a speed camera ticket for allegedly driving 72km/h (44 MPH) in a 60km/h (37 MPH) zone, but the penalty and points were canceled after she explained that she became sick behind the wheel while pregnant. She received another speed camera ticket in the mail in August, but she had not been behind the wheel. A friend accepted responsibility and Henke’s record should have been cleared — but it was not. She was pulled over on October 31 for driving on a suspended license after a database failed to reflect that her license points had been canceled, the News Mail reported. In February, Henke was stopped again but this time she and her six-month-old baby were processed through the jail. She was cleared only after Queensland Transport supplied a letter confirming that her driving record was clean.

[Courtesy:Thenewspaper.com]

The Ombudsman for Victoria, Australia accused a secretive organization known as The Brotherhood of using its influence to have speed camera and red light camera tickets canceled for its founder. Ombudsman George E. Brouwer transmitted a report to the legislative assembly Tuesday providing detail about the group’s 150 members which include state police, government officials, a member of parliament, representatives from insurance firms, financial institutions and the media.

The danger, Brouwer contended, is that the club might be used to trade or sell sensitive government information, a situation uncovered in the 1992 investigation by the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) into a group known as “The Information Exchange Club.”

“ICAC identified that the club unlawfully traded government information, including driver license and motor vehicle registration particulars and police records,” Brouwer’s report explained. “ICAC noted a disregard for privacy, integrity and propriety among the club and concluded that greed had prevailed over public duty; and laws and regulations designed to protect confidentiality had been ignored.”

The Brotherhood was founded by former Senior Police Constable John Moncrieff, who was disciplined during his service from 1988 to 1999 for, among other things, assault on member of the public, negligence and providing a false statement during a disciplinary interview. The Ombudsman also found that a Victoria Police officer who worked in the speed camera office canceled $2000 worth of tickets for Moncrieff and his companies. The group’s founder, denied receiving any special favors.

“They weren’t waived for me, they were waived for the company, and I’m meeting my obligations underneath what the act is,” Moncrieff said on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation show Lateline. “If you look at the traffic camera fines, it says to you that an authorized officer as a company has a responsibility under a certain section to take all reasonable steps and that’s what we did. We identified who could have been driving those vehicles at the time. So, I dispute that it’s me.”

While supporters of automated ticketing machines frequently insist that speed cameras show no special treatment to anyone, this is far from true in practice. Morningside, Maryland Town Councilman Regina Foster resigned last month in the wake of a Maryland State Police investigation that allegedly found evidence that she had fixed photo enforcement tickets.

In California, judges, off-duty police officers, legislators, prosecutors, jail guards, social workers, park rangers, city councilmen, dog catchers, Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employees, zoo veterinarians and firefighters can all exempt themselves from receiving red light camera tickets merely by enrolling in the “confidential” license plate program that shields their information from the private vendors that operate the ticketing programs. Attempts to rein in the practice by repealing the confidential plate law have failed.

Redflex Traffic Systems has a “procedural manual” it supplies to company employees who review citations. The document explains that entire classes of motorist, such as judges and members of Indian tribes, can have their citations automatically rejected.

A copy of the report is available in a 200k PDF file at the source link below.

Source: Risks associated with secretive organisations (Victoria, Australia Ombudsman, 3/1/2011)

[Courtesy:Thenewspaper.com]

For most Americans, the appeal of electric vehicles is somewhat blunted by the fact that they tend to be small, European-style hatchbacks rather than large, red-blooded “American-style” sedans. But what if large, rear-drive electric sedans were developed, using battery-swap technology that could allow battery-leasing business models and instant range-extension? Might Americans rethink a few of their long-held stereotypes about EVs?

Well, the United States isn’t the only nation facing this dilemma, and unlike the US, Australia is actually doing something about it. Australian automotive suppliers, Air International, Bosch, Continental and Futuris, have teamed up with Project Better Place to develop seven “proof of concept” Holden Commodore-based rear-drive electric sedans that could be the first of their kind [press release here in PDF] in a joint venture called EV Engineering. The project is part of Australia’s effort to revamp its automotive industry by 2020.

Holden is only peripherally involved in the the $26m JV, providing engineering support and use of its proving grounds, according to drive.com.au, but several former Holden executives are heading the project. And the project is almost entirely privately-funded as well, with a mere $3.5m coming from the Australian government’s now-defunct green car innovation fund. The project has no plans to put EV Commodores into production, but each participating supplier will use the vehicles to develop know-how around large, rear-drive electric vehicles, a segment that does not yet exist in the marketplace. The idea is that, down the road, the research will help Australia become the global auto industry’s source of rear-drive EV technology and experience.

The projects goals, beyond building the seven prototypes, are:

1) Deliver zero emissions motoring when powered by renewable electricity and greater than 30% reduction in CO2 emissions when powered on grid average electricity.

(2) Deliver the same high standards of safety and feature available in this class of vehicle while delivering comparable performance.

(3) Be designed for a manufacturing cost equivalent to top selling petrol vehicles in this class, without battery. (Batteries will be included as part of monthly electric vehicle charge network subscriptions, replacing petrol costs.)

(4) Be capable of accessing both EV charge spots and ‘battery switch’ stations for unlimited range extension. Additionally, the project will help to develop electric vehicle engineering skills and components within the Australian supplier industry for potential export to car makers globally, with opportunities including battery pack design and thermal management systems.

This project is highly significant on a number of levels. First, battery-swap-enabled large sedans operating in Australia could show the way forward for the US, by breaking stereotypes about EV size, capability and operating environments. Second, the project marks the first sign of flirtation between General Motors and Project Better Place’s battery-swap-based business. Though Holden is not an official partner, there’s no doubt that GM will be keeping a very close eye on the project, especially given its possible applicability to the United States. Thus far, only Renault has officially signed on as a Better Place vehicle supplier. Finally, by spurring on development of an EV based on Australia’s best-selling car,  Better Place strengthens its position in the Australian market, which could also inspire more interest from American governments and automakers in the batter-swap business.

Redflex Traffic Systems of Australia today announced that the Australia-based toll road giant Macquarie and the asset management firm Carlyle Group would spend $300 million to dominate the red light camera and speed camera business.

“The proposed acquisition of Redflex by the consortium will be by way of a scheme,” Redflex stated in its announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange. “The scheme is subject to certain conditions including Redflex shareholder and court approval, regulatory approvals and other conditions that are usual for a transaction of this nature.”

If approved, shareholders would receive $2.70 per share for the company that was trading for $1.53 as late as June. That was when rumors began circulating that Macquarie, Siemens and rival American Traffic Solutions (ATS) were making moves to buy Redflex. The hopes of a quick payoff inflated the stock to its present price of $2.61. The board rejected Macquarie’s June offer of $2.50 per share, sparking a shareholder revolt. The replacement board approved the present offer unanimously.

Purchasing Redflex comes with substantial risk. Redflex bases its US operations in Arizona, one of several states poised to ban photo enforcement. Earlier this month, the South Dakota House of Representatives voted by a near two-to-one margin to join the fifteen states that have banned automated ticketing machines. Redflex also faces assaults on its largest market, California, in the form of an anti-camera voter initiatives, appellate courts throughout the state finding red light camera ticket evidence inadmissible and a growing number of cities deciding to drop red light cameras entirely. These include Loma Linda and Whittier, Moreno Valley, San Carlos, Union City, Yucaipa and Costa Mesa. In November 2010, 73 percent of Anaheim residents voted to ban cameras. Cupertino, Compton, El Monte, Fairfield, Fresno, Fullerton, Indian Wells, Irvine, Maywood, Montclair, Paramount, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Roseville, San Jose (photo radar), Santa Fe Springs, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa, and Upland have rejected their automated ticketing programs.

Macquarie is willing to take the risk. The company is known for its skill in harnessing government guarantees and heavily leveraged debt to purchase assets such as the Indiana Toll Road, the Dulles Greenway in Virginia and the Skyway in Chicago, Illinois. The high-risk, high reward strategy has earned Macquarie the nickname “millionaire’s factory.” Others look at the opaque nature of Macquarie’s books and see echoes of Enron. These include New York hedge fund manager Jim Chanos, the first to suggest Macquarie’s financial structure was unsound.

Redflex executives stand to profit substantially from the deal. The head of US operations, Karen Finley, holds $1,582,897 worth of shares and performance rights. She already cashed in $59,659 worth of stock in December. During the bidding process, Redflex agreed not to bid on any substantial contracts or accumulate any debt until July 31.

[Courtesy:Thenewspaper.com]

A recent report from High Road Auto Research [full report in PDF here] finds that

It has been consistently found that the higher a vehicleʼs travel speed (even when driving at or under the legal limit), the greater the focus of the driver on their surroundings. The increased perception of danger triggers an increased endocrine reaction within the brain. This, in turn, forces the individual to play closer attention to objects in motion around the vehicle. Even relatively small changes in vehicle speed can result in substantial increases in spatial acuity and response time.

On the surface the report seems to be trading in truisms: after all, who would argue that higher speeds don’t trigger faster stimulus responses in drivers? But how does that apply to the real world of highway safety legislation and speed limits?

The report concludes:

In the past, speed limits have been set at or near the 85th percentile speed of the traffic, that is, the speed at or below which 85% of motorists choose to travel. This choice stems from the research undertaken by Usher (1970) who stated that: “the 85th percentile speed is that most  desirably approximated by a speed limit. Because of the general straight and steep slope of the typical speed distribution below the 85th percentile, a speed limit set only a little lower will cause a large number of drivers to be violators”. The Research Triangle Institute (1970) study of the  relationship between speed and accidents endorsed the 85th percentile speed as the criterion for the setting of maximum speed limits. These researchers recommended that the upper  speed limit be set at the 85th percentile speed, with supporting enforcement against those exceeding the 95th percentile speed. Similarly, at the other end of the speed distribution, it was recommended that minimum speed limits be set at the 15th percentile speed, with enforcement action to  be taken against those travelling slower than the 5th percentile speed. Isaac, Taylor and Zac (1970) undertook a survey of practices used in the United States to establish maximum speed limits, together with a major  review of the  various techniques for establishing speed limits.

While drivers usually drive at reasonable and sensible speeds this is not  always the case. A method of zoning that relies on the perceived inappropriate speed of the driver is necessary.  In most situations, drivers are aware to some degree of  the  speed limit that applies on the road they travel (motorists are aware that all roads in Australia have a speed limit ranging generally from 60km/h in urban areas to 100 or llOkm/h on rural highways). Thus, the 85% speed reflects these constraints and hence, they are not true indications of what 85% of the population would choose if no constraints apply. The goal is to supply the driver with a constraint that they then must exceed in order to trigger the endcrine reaction. This new zoning limit must be influenced by the signage, enforcement activity, amount of  traffic, time of day, etc.

The reason High Road’s study seems to break with road safety dogma is that, rather than treating motorists as children, it takes into account the brain’s responses to speed. As intuitive as the “speed kills” formulation seems, it falls into the trap of the overprotective parent who shields their offspring from stressful situations, rather than allowing them to rise to the challenge. As it turns out, humans respond dramatically to stimulus like speed, and the brain appears to compensate for the reduced time in which to make decisions by boosting chemicals associated with concentration and rapid decision-making. Anyone who has read Malcolm Gladwell’s powerful 2005 book “Blink” will find this perspective refreshingly on-point… whether the safety crusaders are prepared to challenge their safe assumptions about safety remains very much to be seen.

TTAC tipster Sydney (of combustionchamber.net) says he saw this bowtie-branded version of what appears to be a Holden Commodore Series II on his “local NBC affiliate,” and snapped this picture. He writes

It has features from the Series II Commodore and though the picture is kind of grainy, I can assure you that it looks complete and not digitally enhanced in any way, including the bulges on the bumper strike face, which don’t appear to have translated that well from the photo I snapped of my TV. Also, the car is clearly Left Hand Drive.

Did he and a local TV station accidentally bust the embargo on this much-hyped “return of the G8″?

UPDATE: No, this is not an official image. The TV station simply ran footage of what we believe to be a forum photoshop. Higher quality image here. Know the source of this photo? Let us know!

A candidate for the New South Wales, Australia Legislative Council is staking out a bold, pro-motorist agenda. David Leyonhjelm hopes to win a seat in the parliament’s upper chamber in the upcoming March 26 election on behalf of the Outdoor Recreation Party. The group’s platform stands for a removal of government restrictions on enjoying the use of public land for recreational purposes, including driving.

“We view current restrictions on outdoor activities as symptomatic of a larger problem of excessive regulation, bureaucracy and government intrusion,” the party’s website explains. “We support efforts to reduce the size of government in all aspects, through less regulation, greater personal choice and lower taxes… Our interests now include not only 4WD users but also fishers, motorcyclists, motoring enthusiasts, bushwalkers, hunters and shooters, skiers, horse-riders, golfers and rural property owners.”

The party joined forces with the Liberal Democratic Party, which fields national audience and shares the pro-motoring agenda. The party advocates setting speed limits according to the speed that the vast majority of drivers feel is safe — the 85th percentile speed. Enforcement of the higher limits would be done with a ten percent tolerance to account for minor mistakes and speedometer error. Radar detectors would be legalized and covert speed cameras outlawed. The party would only allow automated ticketing machines at so-called accident blackspots.

“Australia is a large country in which motor vehicles are a vital means of transport,” the website explains. “Our traffic laws need to strike a balance between safety and the need for efficient travel over long distances… Enforcement of traffic laws often has too little impact on risky driver behavior and does little more than generate government revenue. This undermines public confidence in the police and legal system. The enforcement of traffic laws is at times vindictive and oppressive, especially on young drivers.”

The party also believes the government should not focus its efforts on seatbelt and motorcycle helmet laws.

[Courtesy:Thenewspaper.com]

GM’s troubled Australian division Holden has maintained its place in the GM empire for years now as the development center for GM’s global rear-drive architecture. The Holden-developed Zeta platform began as the basis for Holden’s Commodore full-size sedan, and has been put into use on a global basis by cars as diverse as the Chevy Camaro, the Chinese-market Buick Park Avenue and the Pontiac G8. But now GoAuto reports that the next-gen Commodore could be moved to Holden’s plus-sized version of the Epsilon II midsized front-drive chassis known as “Super Epsilon II,” the platform that will underpin the next Chevy Impala and the Cadillac XTS. The era of the Aussie RWD sedan may well be coming to a close…

With Ford’s Falcon likely moving to a front-drive chassis, GM is looking at making the Commodore lighter and more efficient, and moving the car to an FWD platform could be the only way of making those changes on a cost-effective basis. Holden’s bosses say the decision will be made in the next “two to three months.” Luckily this does not mean the end of rear-drive GM cars though. A four-door Chevy Zeta sedan is coming to the US, and the forthcoming Cadillac ATS is reportedly based on a new “Alpha” RWD platform that reportedly uses components from Zeta and the Kappa (Solstice/Sky) platform. If Holden doesn’t develop a new Zeta iteration for the next Commodore, GM’s RWD options could be limited to the new 3 Series-sized Alpha platform.

Motor Trend gets three GM sources to confirm the return of the Pontiac G8 (Holden Commodore) to the North American market… only this time it’s coming as a Chevy. One exec even brags

We have a good name for it…

…and no, it’s not “Impala.” Nor is this simply a civilian version of the Caprice police model, which is based on the long-wheelbase version of the Zeta platform. This will be a limited-numbers affair and V8-only, reports MT, because currency fluctuations have made shipping cars from Australia more expensive. Should GM even be messing around importing the the Antipodean Driving Machine? The numbers might say no, but the fanboys are already screaming “hell yes” (or, more accurately “what about an El Camino ute version?”). Check out Michael Karesh’s reviews of all three versions of the Pontiac G8 (you can even read Liebermann’s Take Two on the GT if you must), and let us know what you think of the return of the G8.

Redflex shareholders on Friday approved big pay hikes for the photo enforcement firm’s top management at the annual meeting in Victoria, Australia. Redflex has cornered 44 percent of the red light camera and speed camera market in the US, although Arizona-based rival American Traffic Solutions (ATS) is catching up to its down under competitor with a 41 percent market share.

Investors looked past the 92.6 percent drop in profit for the year — down to just US$437,300 — in signing off on the executive compensation packages with a show of hands. Karen Finley, the head of US operations, will be paid $498,108, a figure that includes 79,701 shares of stock incentives worth $189,108. CEO Graham Davie will be paid $496,637, including $186,262 in stock. Proxy votes showed very little opposition to these amounts, but there was some controversy over the plan to increase the maximum annual payment to company directors from $396,000 to $693,000. The directors had insisted that they were entitled to the boost because they have been working hard to sell Redflex to a firm like Siemens AG or Macquarie Bank. Although the salary increase passed, 47 percent of the proxies registered their objection. Shareholders are anxious to cash in from a potential sale.

“If and when firm offers are received, the board will assess the offers and determine whether to recommend an offer to shareholders,” board Chairman Max Findlay said in his opening remarks. “The board has not made any decision as to the ultimate outcome of the process at this stage and gives no assurance that a suitable offer will be forthcoming from the process.”

In the meantime, Findlay explained that his firm would remain committed to its number one priority.

“We have set strategic principles to guide the direction of the company, and the actions flowing from those strategic initiatives are starting to bear fruit,” Findlay said. “Key elements of the strategy are: maximizing revenue from existing, new and renewed contracts; identifying new sources of revenue from existing customers.”

The firm sees a potential for revived profits now that it has beaten back the lawsuit by ATS, which lost the case on all counts before a jury. Redflex also wrote off the millions lost on the failed Arizona freeway photo radar experiment.

“The contract encountered problems early with delays in access to required court data, resource constraints in the court system resulting in a large number of citations being rejected, intense media and interest group opposition, poor collection rates, with citizens actively encouraged not to pay fines, and many items of proposed legislation introduced that could have had a major negative impact on the program,” Findlay said. “As a consequence of many of these issues, the contract ran at a loss.”

Redflex also highlighted the growing unpopularity of automated ticketing machines — as highlighted in the massive loss at the ballot box on November 2 — as a development that allows Redflex to maintain its competitive advantage. ATS lost one of its largest accounts when Houston, Texas voters ousted red light cameras.

“Most of the cities that do not renew at end of contract have made a decision not to continue photo enforcement activity, and do not move their business to a competitor,” Davie said. “We have also seen a small number of contracts terminated for various reasons before end of contract.”

[Courtesy:Thenewspaper.com]



You have to imagine that plenty of Lamborghini Gallardo owners have been hauled in front their local magistrate for daring to allow their Italian stallion to stretch its legs… but surely none of them were ever treated as well as Leone Antonino Magistro of Perth, Australia.

A police officer had “guesstimated” Magistro’s speed at 155 km/h by following some 100 to 200 meters behind in his police-issue Ford Falcon, and had issued a ticket for speeding. But instead of throwing the book at the accused, Magistrate Michael Wheeler took an entirely different approach: confessing his love for Top Gear and the Gallardo, and casting doubt on the policeman’s ability to keep up with the 500+ HP Lamborghini

With no disrespect to the Ford Falcon could it cut the mustard with the Lamborghini being driven by the accused? It couldn’t even catch my car, in all honesty. I have to confess, I’m a Top Gear tragic [Ed: Ain't the Aussie language grand?] and know so much useless information about (the 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo) I have to disregard,

Aaand we have a new front-runner for judge of the year. But, amazingly, Magistrate Wheeler didn’t stop there. According to RTE, Wheeler ordered the police to pay about $18,000 in costs… and then went on to mock the Australian police for buying underwhelming vehicles. Noting that the officer in question had recently immigrated from the UK, Wheeler quipped:

He would have thought he’d never find himself driving a bog standard Ford Falcon when he came to Australia but I suppose that’s what bean counters do

A traffic magistrate who loves Top Gear and Gallardos, and mocks beancounters? It might just be time to move to Perth… I’d appear before this guy any time.

Australia is pretty much a stronghold for Toyota. Looking at the figures, it seems that Aussies like well-made, cheap reliable cars. And to be honest, who doesn’t like those kinds of cars? But what happens when someone else comes to your market, and does well what you do well? Well, you get worried.

Paddock Talk reports that Hyundai has had a record October since Hyundai came to Australia in 1986. In October, Hyundai sold 6,359 units, which represents a monthly market share of 7.9 percent. Hyundai Australia’s year to date sales look even better: 67,941 units sold, a 26 percent gain from last year, and a 10.8 percent market share for the first 10 months. “This is yet another outstanding result for the team at Hyundai and the Hyundai Dealer network. We are excited to have surpassed our best-ever annual sales record in the first ten months of this year,” said Damien Meredith, Hyundai Australia’s Director of sales. I kind of guessed he’d be pleased at this news.

I’m also guessing that someone at Aichi City is probably not so pleased at this news. Watch out, Toyota! Hyundai are coming after you in Australia. Your move, Toyota…

Police in Victoria, Australia announced today that the point-to-point average speed camera system on the Hume Highway has been turned off until officials are convinced that a fatal accuracy flaw had been fixed. Officials admitted that at least nine drivers have been falsely convicted of speeding on that road since 2007. Officials only began to double-check the accuracy of the Redflex automated ticketing machine after police went to seize the car of a young woman accused of driving a low-powered economy car at high speed.

“It’s been a failure of the system in terms of 100 percent accuracy,” Redflex CEO Graham Davie said on 3AW radio. “It happened because of a technical glitch in the clock system…. I’m sorry this event has occurred.”

Last week, a police officer served an automobile seizure notice on a 20-year-old woman, Melissa, whom the camera had accused of doing 154 km/h (96 MPH) on the Hume Highway on September 24 where the speed limit was 110 km/h (68 MPH). The offense was accompanied by a twelve-month license suspension.

“I was pretty upset, it was impossible for me to go that fast,” she told 3AW radio. “I couldn’t believe it. I was just shocked. I kept saying I didn’t do it.”

The officer on the scene understood that Melissa’s 84-horsepower economy car, a three-year-old Mazda 2, was not making a high-speed run. Because of his doubt, an investigation was launched that uncovered even more errors in the camera system. On March 31, 2009, a driver was accused of going 122 km/h (76 MPH), and a court convicted him, imposing the $227 fine and demerit points against his license. Another driver on the same day was falsely accused of driving 118 km/h (73 MPH). Two more drivers were falsely accused in June 2008 and three more in 2007. All were actually moving at the speed limit of 110 km/h or less.

“We found there was a problem with those two tickets,” Victoria Police Deputy Traffic Commissioner Ken Lay told 3AW radio. “There’s been a particular problem with the data… We’re confident that the other 68,000 are rock solid.”

Those tickets are worth $15 million, and the state government is desperate to avoid a repeat of the 2003 incident where a 1975 Datsun 120Y was falsely accused of driving a speed the vehicle was incapable of reaching. The resulting firestorm of criticism forced $26 million in refunds. Lay vowed to restart the Hume Highway cameras after a software upgrade is installed.

Average speed cameras operate by having one or more cameras photograph vehicles at different points along the highway a set distance apart. By calculating the amount of time it takes for the car to pass from one camera to the other, a speed reading is generated. For this to work, the clock on each camera involved must be set with absolute precision. The cameras re-synchronize once every minute, but one of the cameras for an undisclosed reason set a time that occasionally jumped between a microsecond and a minute too fast, producing an artificially high speed reading.

“I’m told that no other jurisdiction has had this problem,” Lay said. “Now, the trick is whether they’ve had the problem and not known it. I suspect that might be the case.”

Victoria Police noted that the cameras undergo routine maintenance on a strict schedule to ensure accuracy. This includes testing prior to installation, daily monitoring of the system and alarms by Redflex, monthly sensor testing, quarterly speed, accuracy and reliability testing and annual testing all by an independent testing company. None of these procedures uncovered any of the bogus tickets issued in the course of three years.

[Courtesy: Thenewspaper.com]

In less than three years, officials in New South Wales, Australia have been forced to refund 18,944 faulty or illegally issued speed camera citations. Between July 2007 and May 2010, the state government has returned A$3,788,885 worth of citations issued by automated ticketing machines that were not operating properly, according to freedom of information documents obtained by the NSW Liberal Party, which used the figures to attack the party in power.

“With the Keneally Labor Government increasing the number of speed cameras in use, it needs to assure motorists they aren’t being fined incorrectly,” Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell said in a statement. “It’s simply unacceptable to have law abiding motorists fined incorrectly. This high level of repayment will cast doubt in motorists’ minds about the fairness of speed camera fines and that doubt must be cleared up as soon as possible.”

Faulty camera sensors were responsible for the second largest refund as a camera on Pittwater Road in North Narrabeen produced false readings and resulted in 996 innocent motorists being forced to pay $173,251 in fines. Other problems involved cameras used in ways that violated state policy and laws. The speed camera on Kingsway at Miranda applied lowered school zone speed limits at times when the limits did not apply, forcing $32,881 in refunds. The documents show a total of 148 incidents each with as many as 5279 wrongly issued tickets to as little as one.

In NSW, camera citations that range in value from $90 to $1865 each. For fiscal 2011-12, the state expects to bring in $570 million thanks to a new mobile speed van program.

The accuracy of Australian speed cameras first became an issue in July 2003 when a camera in Victoria accused a 1975 Datsun 120Y of driving at 98 MPH, setting off a chain reaction of events that ultimately cost the state government $26 million in refunds. Even after the thirty-year-old Datsun was tested and found to be capable of reaching speeds no greater than 73 MPH, police dug in their heels and insisted the photo enforcement system was accurate and that the fine would stand. Intense publicity from the case forced independent testing which showed faulty in-ground sensors and electromagnetic interference had been responsible for generating bogus speed readings. A total of 165,000 camera tickets were canceled.

Accuracy problems are common with speed cameras and red light cameras. View TheNewspaper’s worldwide coverage of this topic.