http://www.thisisgwent.co.uk/gwent/news/NEWS0.html
GWENT motorists paid more than £2 million in speeding fines last year, new figures obtained by the Argus reveal.
Government figures released to us under the Freedom of Information Act show there were 54,489 offences for speeding on the county's roads.
The cash raised by these fixed penalty fines, excluding the cases that reached court, hit a staggering £2,160,540.
It follows revelations last month that motorists driving in the South Wales Speed Camera Partnership area - which covers Gwent through to Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, as well as Dyfed and Powys - were the most likely to be caught in the UK.
There are currently 11 fixed speed camera sites, 108 mobile camera sites and three red-light speed camera sites in the county.
A total of 185,058 people were caught flouting restrictions in 2003-4 - with Gwent's figures accounting for nearly a third of all those fined in Mid and South Wales.
But Superintendent Julian Knight, of Gwent Police traffic division, said the cameras were working.
He said: "We are seeing a year-on-year reduction in the total number of accidents.
"Since we have focused on the issue average speeds across the county have gone down.
"And while there are still accidents, the difference between 30 and 40 miles an hour is serious injury.
"I don't apologise for trying to save people's lives."
Motorists automatically caught by the cameras have three points added to their licence, as well as a £60 fixed penalty.
First introduced in 1992, speed cameras can only be installed in areas with a history of road safety problems - at least four collisions resulting in death or injury per kilometre per year.
Figures show no single serious accident has occurred at the 11 static camera sites in Gwent in the past two years, while at mobile sites the number of serious accidents has dropped by 74 per cent.
But in 2004, 36 people died in traffic accidents, up from 21 in 2003.
Paul Watters, head of roads policy for the AA Motoring Trust, told the Argus that cameras were none the less proving an effective road safety tool.
He said: "A recent opinion poll showed that 75 per cent of drivers were in favour of cameras as a road safety device.
(where by whom?)
"But we would like to see more consistent speed limits and signage, so the motorist has all the information."
A spokeswoman for the South Wales Road Safety Partnership said: "Partnerships do not make any profit.
"All fine revenue we receive is invested into targeted enforcement to achieve the maximum reduction in casualties and developing comprehensive educational campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of excessive and inappropriate speed."
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
Members
