Speed Cameras in Sydney
Sydney and greater NSW run one of the most heavily camera-enforced road networks in Australia. Here's a plain-English rundown of every camera type you'll pass, how each one actually works, and how to get a heads-up before you reach one.
The four camera types you'll meet
| Type | How it works | Signposted? |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed | Permanently mounted at a set location, running 24/7. Catches speed on a single spot. | Yes — always signposted |
| Mobile | Operated from a parked vehicle that moves between hundreds of rotating sites across the week. | Signs reintroduced from 2023 |
| Red-light + speed | Combined camera at an intersection — pings you for both running the light and speeding. | Yes — signposted |
| Average speed | Two cameras measure your average speed between two points. In NSW this has mainly applied to heavy vehicles. | Yes — signposted |
Fixed speed cameras
Fixed cameras are bolted to a pole or gantry and run around the clock. Their locations are public and signposted — Transport for NSW publishes the list, and there's a warning sign before each one. They're common on motorway approaches, notorious black-spot stretches, and long straights where speeds creep up. Because the position never changes, this is the easiest category to warn drivers about reliably.
Mobile speed cameras
Mobile cameras are the ones people get caught by most, because they move. A contractor parks a vehicle at one of a large pool of approved sites and photographs passing traffic in both directions. NSW removed the warning signs in 2020, which caused a sharp rise in fines and public backlash; from 2023 the signs were reintroduced and the vehicles now carry high-visibility markings. Rules around signage and marking have changed more than once, so the safest assumption is that any road can be monitored on any day.
This is exactly where a live, crowdsourced feed earns its keep: another driver who just passed a parked mobile unit can flag it, and everyone behind them gets a warning the fixed-camera database can't provide.
Red-light speed cameras
At many Sydney intersections the red-light camera and the speed camera are the same device. It captures you if you enter after the light turns red, and separately if you're over the limit through the intersection. There's more detail on the NSW red-light cameras page.
Average (point-to-point) speed cameras
Rather than a single snapshot, average-speed cameras time you between two points and divide by distance. If your average exceeds the limit you're booked — braking hard for the camera doesn't help. In NSW these have historically targeted heavy vehicles, which sets the state apart from Victoria and Queensland; point-to-point enforcement for light vehicles has been trialled, so read the signage on the day.
Get warned before every camera
Ghost loads NSW's fixed & red-light camera locations and layers live driver reports on top — with a voice alert as you approach.
Open Ghost free →How Ghost warns you
- Fixed & red-light cameras — pre-loaded from the public NSW dataset (1,300+ camera points nationwide) with a proximity chime and an on-screen amber bar ~350 m out, filtered to your direction of travel.
- Mobile cameras & police — crowdsourced in real time. When a driver ahead reports one, you're alerted. See how the alerts work.
- No sign-up — open the map, allow location, drive.
Frequently asked questions
Do mobile speed cameras in Sydney have warning signs?
Signs were removed in 2020 and reintroduced from 2023, and the vehicles now carry high-visibility markings. Because these rules have changed before, treat every road as if it may be monitored.
Are fixed speed camera locations public?
Yes — fixed and red-light camera sites in NSW are signposted and published by Transport for NSW. Ghost loads these and warns you on approach.
Does Sydney use average speed cameras for cars?
Average (point-to-point) cameras in NSW have mainly applied to heavy vehicles, unlike other states. Point-to-point for light vehicles has been trialled, so follow the current signage.
Is Ghost legal to use?
Ghost warns you about the location of signposted, publicly disclosed fixed cameras and relays reports from other drivers — the same category of information a passenger calling out a camera would give you. You're responsible for obeying the road rules and using your phone legally (mounted, hands-free).
Camera types, signage rules and enforcement policy change over time. For the authoritative, current position always check Transport for NSW and Revenue NSW. This guide is general information, not legal advice.