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Essex speed camera plan criticised

RODDY ASHWORTH

PLANS to increase the use of mobile speed cameras in Essex and introduce them on trunk roads such as the A12 and A120 have been criticised by a leading anti-camera campaigner.

The extended use of mobile cameras was part of a package announced this week by the Essex Casualty Reduction Board designed to lower the number of accidents on the county's roads.

The programme, called “Drive Casualties Down”, also focuses on areas such as driver education, publicity, drink driving, seatbelt-wearing, and the use of mobile phones while driving.

But Paul Smith, of the campaign organisation Safe Speed, claimed that the increased use of speed cameras was a failed safety policy and that deaths on the roads of Essex were at a higher level than they were in the late 1990s.

He also added that Department for Transport figures showed that while in 2005 there were 86 road deaths in the county, in 2006 the figure had risen to 100.

Mr Smith said: “When will our road safety officials finally learn? Speed camera policy has been a disaster based only on false assumptions and dodgy statistics.

“The results have been awful and in Essex alone road deaths are around 30 per year above where they should be. Now they have noticed that the 'medicine' isn't working and they want to double the dose.

“But it's the wrong medicine and it's making matters worse. We need all-new road safety policies.

“We need to scrap speed cameras and base policies on improving the 'human factors' that lead to crashes.”

However Rosemary Welch, network and safety manager at Essex County Council, said she thought Mr Smith had missed the point of the casualty reduction board's campaign.

“People against safety cameras have often said it is about changing a whole range of driving issues, and that is what we're focusing on.

“The police enforcement is not just about speed and cameras - there is a wide range of techniques and operations to change road users behaviour.

“He has picked on road deaths for his statistics, but those are at the extreme end of what happens in accidents.

“If you take the broader perspective and look at all of looking at all accidents and especially those that are classified as 'killed and seriously injured' you will see they are on a long-term downward trend.

“Speed cameras are not an item on their own - they are part of a package to reduce road casualties.”

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

So Essex are saying 'it's not just the cameras that aren't working....it's everything we do!'

Oh yes, but where do yo think all the credit for casualty reduction goes: "at speed camera sites"

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

But Rosemary deaths are on the increase. you won't be able to hide behind KSI for much longer.

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Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

The editor of the EADT is strongly biased in favour of speed cameras. In Saturdays editorial comment on the Idris Francis case he (or she?) said that he was pleased that Mr. Francis had lost his case and that drivers should "pipe down and slow down".

Thereby completely misunderstanding the point of the case.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

I had to anchor up for these perishers the other morning. There is a long section of 30, like a basin with downhill approach and uphill retreat in a village near here on my way to work, the middle 1/2 mile of which is, in clear dry traffic-light conditions would be good for about three times that speed. They were easy to spot though - over ther hedge about half a mile away - standing by his white van in the slow part of the 30, but pointing at the fast part of it. I was already checking (ie governing) my increased speed with the brake when I saw him in my routine scanning, and so was therefore able to get nicely legal before he had a clear shot at me. Despite it being against the letter of the law, I admit that I usually let things drift up in that section to avoid the revs and throttle on the way out. My normal approach is socially, environmentally and economically better - and it is safer too - I am sure I've assessed the speed as right for minimum risk.

That morning I had to scrub about 15 mph off to save £60 and points. Realising the range of the laser, I did so in very few yards too .