Title: Speed cameras fail to cut collisions
Date: 26/08/2011
URL: www.autoexpress.co.uk
Preview: It’s official – speed traps don’t always cut accidents. In fact, new data shows that the number of collisions has increased after the introduction of cameras at a number of locations.
In Humberside, the number of accidents actually increased at 17 of its 89 speed camera sites.
Seven of the 44 speed trap sites in the Thames Valley area saw a hike in the number of collisions. While four of the 47 camera locations in Cambridgeshire also saw an increase in accidents.
These shocking statistics were revealed after the Department for Transport called on local authorities to publish accident and casualty rates for camera sites before and after the introduction of speed cameras.
Road safety minister Mike Penning has billed the move as an opportunity for residents to hold councils to account and ensure ineffective cameras are switched off.
But although the DfT set a July 20 deadline for all English councils to publish their speed camera stats, almost half have failed to do so, leaving their residents in the dark as to how effective road
The DfT has said the remaining 72 authorities will make their figures public in the next few weeks.
RAC motoring strategist Adrian Tink said: “This information is long overdue. We’ve always said there needed to be more transparency on speed camera performance.“But local authorities need to actually use this data and investigate speed camera sites that aren’t working. If cameras are not cutting accidents, they need to be replaced with measures that do work.”
According to Tink there are around 6,000 speed camera sites in Britain, generating around £90 million a year in fines.
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