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They said we haven't got a speed problem... we proved them wrong
Feb 11 2005
By Matt Withers, Daily Post
NORTH Wales roads could have a new flood of speed cameras after the government announced a rules review.
The Department of Transport is looking at relaxing regulations following pressure from chief police officers including North Wales' chief constable, Richard Brunstrom.
Currently 73% of requests around 400 a month across Wales and England are refused because they don't meet tough criteria.
Now transport chiefs are considering loosening the rules to allow more communities to get cameras on their road.
The proposals were last night slammed by anti-speed camera pressure group Safespeed.
Currently there have to be at least four smashes involving death or serious injury in the previous three years before a camera can be installed.
In addition, police must prove at least 20% of drivers are breaking the speed limit.
But police chiefs say many more fatal crashes would be prevented if they had greater flexibility on the location of cameras.
Ian Bell, Association of Chief Police Officer's national safety camera coordinator, said: "We want more flexibility in where we use cameras.
"The existing rules set the barrier too high and we have run out of sites where we can take action."
He was backed by villagers in Pentrefoelas, who have campaigned for cameras on the A5, which runs through the village, for years.
Last month seven volunteer villagers were trained to use hand-held speed guns after speeding problems fell out-side guidelines for fixed cameras.
Yesterday alone, nine speeders were snapped.
One of the volunteers, 32-year-old caretaker Dulcie Jones, said: "It's something we've asked for on many occasions but the bureaucracy hasn't allowed us to have it.
"We haven't had enough serious accidents on the road to allow us to have a fixed camera.
"The council and other people kept telling us we haven't got a speeding problem but we've proved we have."
Currently there are only 13 fixed cameras across the whole of North Wales, with the majority - eight - in Flintshire..
Gwynedd and Anglesey do not have a single camera between them.
Safespeed founder, Paul Smith, described the proposals as "unbelievable".
He said: "They have had 10 years to get road deaths down with their infernal speed cameras. It hasn't worked. Over two million fines per year, traffic speeds are largely unchanged and road deaths are rising.
"Now they want to fiddle around with the placement rules and install more speed cameras. It's blind faith and bad science.
"Speed cameras don't make the roads safer - quite the opposite - and the last thing we need is more."
A Department for Transport spokesman said: "The review will look at all the criteria for camera sites, including the number of cars exceeding the limit.
"Some they might want to leave unchanged and some they might want to change."
Mr Brunstrom, head of Acpo road policing, was last night unavailable for comment.
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