Safe Speed Forums

Perhaps these cams are now not "earning their keep"


It strikes me each time that we take our kids to the Pleasure Beach for a treat that they have clusters which are a waste of resources. I even thought they would have been better off with SPECS on one road given the 50 yard apart quintet of Gatsos

Oh .. I agree that some of their roads have had speed limits reduced from 40 mph which have served the town's outskirts safely enough for years. I gather from an FOI which someone posted up or published in the press (cannot recall if I saw on -line or in press) -somewhere - that Lancs made use of the "slight collision" "guideline" which allowed for council decisions to lower speed limits , plus an extra fixed camera or a mobile cam haunt to help enforce .

I would say though that the heart of tourist zone .. usually a crawl in high season/illimination traffic .. might warrant a variable 20 mph on the touristy stretch passing the three piers during the high peak season..

Fylde speed cameras may get 'fairer'

Published Date: 19 November 2008
By Shelagh Parkinson
FIXED point speed cameras on the Fylde could be replaced with devices which measure a driver's average speed over a set distance.
Road safety chiefs have confirmed they are looking at alternative measures after Blackpool Council leader Coun Peter Callow called for a review of the resort's 48 speed cameras.

He said: "If speed is calculated over a distance, I personally think
that is a fairer system.

"At the moment someone who is perhaps not concentrating as they should for a brief period and goes over the speed limit gets a fine, whereas some speedster, who is cute enough to slow down for the cameras and then steps up the gas when they go past, does not get caught.

"It is something that I'm sure our scrutiny committee would want to discuss."

Coun Callow called for a review in the wake of the decision by Swindon Council to axe its speed cameras.

The regeneration and tourism scrutiny overview committee will hear from the council's road safety chief, Carol Bracegirdle, at its next meeting on December 11 before deciding whether or not to investigate the issue.

Lancashire Road Safety Partnership project manager Linda Sanderson said speed-over-distance cameras had already been piloted on the county's motorways and would be considered for other areas, including Blackpool, in coming years – depending on financial constraints.

She said: "We are proposing to look at the newest technology and slowly introduce it as and when."

"We will look at the provision of cameras in Blackpool and look at what is the most appropriate means of slowing traffic down."

Transport secretary Geoff Hoon has already given his backing to the use of speed-over-distance cameras instead of fixed point devices.

He said the latter were viewed by the public as unfair whereas limits set by average-speed were largely observed by motorists.

Since speed cameras were introduced in 2002, the number of children injured on Blackpool's roads has dropped from 159 to 104 last year, according to figures.

Since speed cameras were introduced in 2002, the number of children injured on Blackpool's roads has dropped from 159 to 104 last year, according to figures