Safe Speed Forums

Lancashire drivers 'face the most speeding cases'

Published Date:
05 March 2009
By Matthew Squires
More motorists are convicted in court of speeding in Lancashire than anywhere else in the country, new figures reveal today.
More than 7,000 drivers were fined by magistrates in a 12-month period, according to latest findings released by the Government.

The figures even dwarf much bigger areas like Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester.

"Captain Gatso," the campaigns director of the Motorists Against Detection group, said the figures could be because Lancashire authorities pursued speeders more aggressively.

He added that court cases were continuing to increase in the county because of high-profile problems with the cameras.
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That includes the sacking of a police worker last year who was found not to have calibrated cameras properly, leading to £35,000 in fines being refunded.

"It is down to the fact that more members of the public, in light of these reported cases, are trying it on," he said.

"The partnership also has a zero tolerance approach.

"In the Metropolitan Police area they dish out something like 8,000 tickets a week, but the conversion rate of people actually paying is about 40%.

"Lancashire seems to go all out to investigate people and treat them as criminals, and spends a lot of money and manpower on this."

Hugh Bladon, of the Association of British Driving, has called for a review of all speed limits in the county.

He said: "If that many people are being done and they are not having as many accidents, then that suggests the speeds they are doing are perfectly safe and the speed limits need to be reviewed."

Figures last year revealed accident rates dropped slightly in the county, from 7,900 to 7,700.

According to the Home Office figures, 7,463 people were convicted and fined for speeding before Lancashire courts in 2007 – the latest figures available.

That is 1,580 more than the next biggest total in Thames Valley.

A spokesman for the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety said: "Whilst both areas have a very similar number of fixed cameras Lancashire has significantly more mobile sites than Thames Valley.

"A hundred and fifty-five of these sites were introduced to reassure communities plagued by anti-social and dangerous speeding.

"The Department for Transport's fourth year evaluation report on the National Safety Camera Programme showed reductions in Lancashire of 19.8% in personal injury collisions and 24.8% in killed or serious injury collisions.

"The Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety does not pursue speeders more aggressively.

"All speed enforcement thresholds are fully in line with good practice as set out by the DfT and many drivers are given the opportunity of attending a speed awareness course rather than face prosecution.

"All enforcement is carried out in approved sites with clearly visible vehicles."