Speed Awareness Monitors program - drive slow for SAM

Brisbane City Council’s Speed Awareness Monitors program is part of Council's commitment to making Brisbane streets safer.

The program also aligns with Council’s Transport Plan for Brisbane – Strategic Directions, by implementing local safety improvements in residential neighbourhoods, school zones and high pedestrian activity areas.

The speed awareness monitors - known as SAM, aim to change motorist behaviour and reduce speeding in our suburbs.

If you are travelling at or below the speed limit, you will receive a smiley face from SAM to thank you for doing the right thing. SAM displays a 'slow down' message if you are speeding to remind you to reduce your speed and drive safely on our roads.

Since the program was launched in November 2013, speeding motorists who first activate SAM’s ‘slow down’ reminder message reduced their speeds by an average of over 6 kilometres per hour across all locations. There are currently more than 280 monitors in place across Brisbane.

Further to the success of SAM, Council has installed:

• Wildlife Awareness Monitors (WAM) to alert drivers to the potential presence of wildlife on roads and;
• Automated Flooded Road Warning Systems (AFRWS) to improve motorist awareness of flooded road conditions during severe weather events

Let’s all work together to reduce our speed, get home safely and keep SAM smiling.

Location selection

Speed awareness monitors are not suitable for all locations within our road network.

When a location is suggested, Council reviews speed data for demonstrated speeding issues before undertaking a site assessment to determine if the location is suitable for a speed awareness monitor. Factors considered in the site assessment process include:

• obstructions such as trees and other traffic signs
• clearance from driveways and infrastructure such as power poles, service pits and pipelines
• clearance from power lines and lower-hanging communication cables
• adequate sunlight for the monitor solar panels
• separation between other traffic signs to ensure drivers have sufficient time to read messages
• visual impact on adjacent residents.

Council installs speed awareness monitors for at least six months before moving to a new location to allow enough time to have a positive impact on motorist behaviour. Monitors may return to a previously installed location if speeding becomes a concern again.

How the monitors work

A radar detects speed as you approach a monitor. One of the following three messages will display:

• if you are driving at or below the posted speed limit, a smiley face message will display
• if you are driving above the posted speed limit by up to 9 kilometres per hour, the vehicle's speed will display followed by a ‘slow down’ message
• if you are driving at 10 kilometres per hour or more above the posted speed limit, only a ‘slow down’ message will display.

The purpose of monitors is to alert you to your speed, not to issue infringement notices.

Impacts during installation

Council makes every effort to minimise disruption to the local community during this work. Local residents will be notified of monitor installation in advance. Installation of the speed awareness monitors involves the construction of a small concrete foundation. This is built below the ground on Council-owned land. The platform has a lid and sits flush with ground level. Once Council removes the monitor, the lid remains to enable the site to be re-used.

More information

If you would like to find out more about the Speed Awareness Monitors program, you can:

• phone Council on 07 3403 8888
• email the project team
• write to:
  Speed Awareness Monitors
  Transport Planning and Operations
  Brisbane City Council
  GPO Box 1434
  Brisbane Qld 4001.