Safe Speed Forums

Removal of speed camera was a "significant" factor in teenager's death, Brent Knoll
3:27pm Monday 11th July 2011

A CORONER has said the removal of a speed camera on the A370 in East Brent was a significant factor in the death of a teenager.

In a letter to Somerset County Council, West Somerset Coroner Michael Rose said 19-year-old Billy Davis’ death “in part may have been prevented” had the camera just before the scene of the accident not been removed.

Mr Davis died when his BMW crashed into a telegraph pole and burst into flames at 2.10am on September 18 last year; the camera been disabled only weeks earlier.
An inquest heard he had been driving between 60 and 70mph on the stretch and had been one-and-a-half times over the legal drink-drive limit.

In his letter, Mr Rose said: “The reason I am bringing this matter to your attention at this stage is that there appears to be growing evidence that speed cameras do play an important part in reducing accidents.”
He said he did not believe Mr Davis had drunk so much alcohol that it would have impaired his ability to recognise where a known speed camera was working.

A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: "Enforcement cameras are no longer within the control of the county council.
“The police are now solely responsible for camera enforcement across the county. We will be urging police to focus their mobile camera enforcement on road casualty sites.”
However, Avon and Somerset Constabulary said fixed cameras were the county council’s responsibility and funding them would be their decision.
A police spokesman added the offer to process ticketing from fixed cameras still stood.

An inquest heard he had been driving between 60 and 70mph on the stretch and had been one-and-a-half times over the legal drink-drive limit.

He said he did not believe Mr Davis had drunk so much alcohol that it would have impaired his ability to recognise where a known speed camera was working.

It would be interesting to know how someone who thinks that a binary state, such as death, can ever be prevented "in part" managed to became a coroner!

Yet he was drunk enough such he couldn't do something rather more important than look out for cameras, like stay on the road.

We should be grateful that he only killed himself.

maybe the coroners are also in the hands of the SCP



still someones son, or is that irrelevant

If we were talking emotionally then yes of course. Every person who suffers at the hands of flawed policy is an especially tragic death.
The false assumption that a 'working camera' will somehow have helped, one assumes in their belief that if every vehicle travelled more slowly, that will encourage motorists to pay perfect attention to potential hazards, and so be alert and ready for every event is astounding!

whats that 5 pints, hardly a scenario where he could not concentrate,