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200 new speed camera sites approved
Mar 30 2006

More than 200 new speed camera sites for roads across England have been approved by the Government.

A written statement lodged at the House of Commons revealed ministers have agreed to plans to create 233 new locations for cameras.

At the same time 30 existing sites where road safety has significantly improved will be decommissioned.

Groups that operate cameras, known as safety camera partnerships, must prove there is a clear need for casualty reduction at potential new sites.

A Department of Transport spokesman said the new sites do not necessarily mean more cameras.

He said: "There are strict guidelines for the creation of new sites. Basically they are there for a reason: that is to save lives."

There are currently 4,314 speed camera sites and the Government has pledged to spend £110 million of the money raised in fines every year on road safety.

Government figures show nine people are killed and 85 injured each day, on average, on the UK's roads. They calculate that safety cameras save about 100 lives every year by cutting speed.

Shadow Transport Minister Owen Paterson said: "Motorists will be disappointed to see the Government planning yet more speed cameras on our roads.

"Speed cameras clearly have a role to play in road safety but they are not the be all and end all. We need the co-operation of drivers if we are to improve road safety and if we simply install endless amounts of cameras we risk losing their support."[/url]

Indeed. Safe Speed issued the following PR at 20:02 this evening:

PR297: More speed cameras

news: for immediate release

According to news reports, Department for Transport has approved 233 new speed
camera sites.

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
(www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "Speed cameras are bad news for road safety
because they focus efforts on the wrong safety targets. Department for
Transport clearly have not been reading their own research properly because the
report published shows that claims of benefits at speed camera sites have been
vastly overrated."

"We will not get road safety back on track while a single speed camera remains
on our roads."

<ends>

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety