(heraldsun)
SHADOW attorney-general Martin Pakula said it would be better for the Government to reinvest in road safety than police surveillance technology, which is years away from becoming a reality.

"In terms of the road safety message, things would be much better if the government hadn't ended the Arrive Alive campaign, which was $50 million over four years, and replaced it with something that's funded at a far lower rate, only $17 million over four years," he told reporters.

"Reducing your targets for vehicle safety and road safety I think sends the wrong message about road safety."

Queensland police and federal law enforcers are also considering drones, which will be used in the US for surveillance, searches and car chases from Monday.

In April the Victoria Police air wing hosted an international conference on the potential use of drones and a police spokeswoman has confirmed the technology is being closely watched, Fairfax Media reports.

"Victoria Police will continue to assess the quickly maturing UAS (unmanned aerial systems) technology market for potential operational use in the future," the spokeswoman said in a statement.

Civil libertarians have expressed concerns the technology could be used to spy on people.
(more)