Safe Speed Forums

As camera numbers triple, we’re the speed trap capital of Europe

By Tim Shipman
Last updated at 7:50 AM on 16th April 2009

Britain has become the speed camera capital of Europe with the number of sites almost trebling in six years.

In 2001 there were 1,571 speed traps, but the most recent figures show this had risen to 4,309 by 2007.

The data, released by Transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick, revealed that London had the most cameras, with 439 fixed positions. There were 345 sites in Lancashire, 275 in the Thames Valley area and 247 operated by the Avon and Somerset force.

Britain tops the European league table for cameras, according to research by the speed camera alert system Wayfinder. Germany has 3,000 cameras, Italy has fewer than 2,000 and France under 1,000.

But road deaths have declined slower in Britain than many other European countries in recent years, while drink driving deaths have become more common.

The Government has admitted that exceeding the speed limit is a contributory factor in just 6 per cent of accidents and 13 per cent of fatal crashes. Speeding fines generate more than £102million a year for the state.

Tory transport spokesman Theresa Villiers said: 'It's alarming that Labour's reliance on speed cameras to police all forms of road safety has led to the number of camera sites trebling since 2001.

'What Labour needs to realise is that speed cameras don't stop rogue drivers, they can't detect those without licences, insurance or who drive drunk or on drugs.

'These are the real menace to our roads and hiking up the number of speed cameras on our roads will do little to stop them.'

The Institute of Advanced Motorists expressed surprise and concern by the 2007 speed camera figures – the latest year for which statistics have been released.

A spokesman said: 'Speed cameras are not the be-all-and-end-all of road safety. 'If a camera is well positioned it can discourage drivers from speeding at that particular spot – but only if the person using the car is properly licensed, insured and owns the car. 'The real problem is that cameras are playing too big a role in road safety at a time when the number of visible traffic police has dropped off.'

Labour has presided over a 20 per cent reduction in the number of traffic police. A Department for Transport spokesman said: 'We've cut the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads each year by more than a third since the mid-1990s – that means almost 17,000 fewer deaths or serious injuries in a year.

'Cameras save lives – independent research has shown there are 1,745 fewer deaths and serious injuries at camera sites each year – and local authorities use them where they believe they are the best way to tackle local safety problems.

'We also improve the safety of our roads through our award-winning Think! campaigns, measures to create safer vehicles, tougher laws and direct police enforcement to tackle dangerous drivers.'

'We've cut the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads each year by more than a third since the mid-1990s

Only by fiddling the stats!

at camera sites each year

'We've cut the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads each year by more than a third since the mid-1990s