Safe Speed Forums

A POLICE force is claiming to have dramatically cut road accidents . . . without hitting motorists in the pocket.

It was revealed last week speeding fines of more than £106m were handed out nationwide last year, four times the figure a decade ago.

The huge rise is blamed largely on the increased use of speed cameras which safety experts claim have helped cut road deaths.

The death toll nationally has dropped from 3421 in 1998 to 3172 in 2006 . . . a reduction of seven per cent.

Yet Durham Constabulary, one of just two forces nationally that don’t use fixed speed cameras, has seen its rate drop by 40pc . . . from 44 to 26. While latest released figures showed it fined motorists just £169,000 in 2006.

Neighbouring Northumbria police fined motorists more than £3m while Cleveland issued fines of £1.1m.

Durham has one mobile speed camera, as well as patrol cars fitted with speed detection equipment.

PC Dave Nixon, the casualty reduction officer for Durham, said: “The decision was taken at the highest level that we could do this in a proportionate manner.

“We felt that we could keep our community on side, so that when we need help on other things, they wouldn’t be reluctant to help us. That doesn’t mean we’re soft on speeding drivers but every officer has discretion. Sometimes a strong warning is all that is required.”

Durham operates a range of educational programmes to encourage motorists to reduce their speed including one-day lessons offered to every school pupil aged 16 in the county.

PC Nixon said: “We target young people just before they’re about to get their licence.

“The course is all about changing the attitudes of young people to speed and getting them to pass that message on to others, including their parents.”

North Yorkshire, the only other force that does not use fixed speed cameras, claims it recently cut the death toll by 15 per cent by targeting rogue drivers. Nearly 12,000 vehicles were stopped as part of Operation Anvil, between March and June, resulting in 208 uninsured vehicles seized and 105 drink drivers arrested.

Its speeding fines have dropped from £475,000 to £375,000 in a decade.

Northumbria, has 45 fixed cameras as well as 104 sites for mobile cameras where death rates are said to have fallen by 76pc.

However, Claire Armstrong of pressure group Safe Speed, said the cameras are not saving lives and wants them replaced by more officers on patrol.

She said: “You can drive up and down all day and not see a single police car. The Government should be ashamed of that.”