The number of people caught speeding around Orange has dropped by a massive 72 per cent in one year.
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The latest figures from the Office of State Revenue show that 602 speeding tickets were issued in the region in 2016-17 – costing motorists $167,872 in fines.
That is way down on the previous year when 2159 fines, totalling $556,562, were issued and significantly better than the 2014-15 financial year when 2851 fines were issued, totalling $760,082.
The improvement in Orange has bucked the state trend where the number of drivers caught by police rose from 222,983 [$75.1 million in revenue] in 2015-16 to 241,424 [$80.8 million].
A further 469,777 drivers were booked by mobile speed cameras in NSW in 2016-17 adding $108.5 million to state revenue.
Mobile speed cameras also earned revenue from speeding drivers around Orange.
On the Mitchell Highway between Orange and Bathurst 39 drivers were caught at Lucknow compared to 29 the previous year, eight were caught at Vittoria, one at The Rocks and 17 at Dunkeld.
There was also a big drop in the number of drivers caught by a mobile speed camera on Woodward Street.
It caught 69 drivers in 2016-17 compared to 263 in 2015-16 and 209 in 2014-15.
Orange Driving School owner/operator Graham Kidson said improved technology, awareness and driver training had changed motorists’ attitudes to speeding.
“You’ve got a much higher chance of getting caught than you did before,” he said.
Birrang Enterprise Development Co Ltd driving instructor Brett Naden said education was a key to reducing speeding and road deaths.
“The decrease in speeding offences recently in Orange reflects the increased awareness of drivers to the dangers of speeding,” he said.
“Driver education remains the best solution to continue to decrease driving offences.”
Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command said speeding was still the main killer on NSW roads – contributing to about 40 per cent of fatal crashes.