Minister for Roads Michael Daley announced the introduction of point-to-point speed cameras for heavy vehicles to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on major highways around the state.

Mr Daley said the point-to-point system, which has been successful overseas, would be introduced on 20 stretches of road. The routes will range from 2km to 80km in distance and will be designed to enforce heavy vehicle speed limits on NSW's major freight routes. "Heavy vehicles are over represented in fatal crashes and speed is all too often the cause. "This new technology will help slow these drivers down and make our highways and country roads safer for everyone to use.

"In 2008 heavy vehicles made up about 2.6 per cent of all registered vehicles in NSW, but were involved in almost 20 per cent of the state's road fatalities. "And on the 20 stretches that have been selected for point-to-point cameras, heavy vehicles have been involved in 35 per cent of fatal crashes," he said.

Mr Daley said that RTA surveys taken on major freight routes in 2005 found that 51 per cent of heavy vehicles exceed the speed limit and nearly seven per cent travel over 115 kmh. "Many families will know how terrifying it is to see a huge truck drive past them going well over the 100kmh speed limit. "There's no place for cowboys on our roads and this new technology will catch them out. "Overseas studies show point-to-point enforcement can reduce the rate of casualty crashes by around 50 per cent.

"We'll be targeting roads in rural areas including the New England Highway and the Newell Highway.

"We'll also be targeting known freight routes such as Mount Ousley Road, the Hume Highway and the Pacific Highway," he said.

Mr Daley said the new point-to-point system would calculate the time it takes a vehicle to drive between two points to determine whether a truck is blatantly speeding over an extended period of time. "If a heavy vehicle is found to be driving above the maximum average speed, they"l soon face a heavy fine and a loss of demerit points. "A drop in speed-related crashes will also mean we'll see fewer occasions where our highways have to close as a result of a major crash.

"It's also important to note that the introduction of these new cameras is not about revenue raising, with RTA estimates showing that the new system is expected to cost the government up to $5 million a year to run, even after the costs are offset by the fines. "The new system will require some changes to the legislation, so it's our aim to get it through parliament as quickly as possible, with all 20 sites to be operational within two years.

"The RTA will now start developing an awareness campaign to get the message out to heavy vehicle drivers, with a two-month warning period for each point-to-point location, where drivers will be sent a warning letter instead of a notice.