Safe Speed Forums

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/d ... PK=9620441

1-IN-3 SPEED CAMERAS FAILED TO CUT ACCIDENTS
BY TIM WALSH

10:30 - 17 April 2004
A third of Leicestershire's speed camera sites are not reducing the number of crash victims - despite costing motorists thousands of pounds in fines.

The controversial cameras are supposed to stop people speeding while reducing accident rates on the most dangerous stretches of road.

However, a Leicester Mercury investigation has found a mobile camera site at Saffron Lane raised more than £1,000 a week in fines while failing to cut the number of crashes from 20 a year.

At some sites - including St George's Way and London Road, Leicester - the accident rates went up after cameras were introduced there.

Now, the Mercury can exclusively reveal failing camera sites are to be fitted with vehicle-activated digital signs which flash up warnings to speeding motorists.

Camera bosses unveiled the £50,000 warning system as they admitted "concerns" that a third of Leicestershire's 99 mobile, fixed and red-light camera sites were failing to do their job.

"The ideal situation is where casualties fall at every camera site so the fact that, at about one third of camera sites, slight accidents have not gone down, is of concern," said safety camera scheme spokesman Toby Walker. Motorists claim the figures show some cameras are in the wrong place - or are just there to make money.

The police and councils say an internal review found all 99 sites complied with Government guidelines.

Nine vehicle-activated signs will be set up at four camera sites in Leicester next month: Saffron Lane, Belgrave fly-over, St George's Way and Tigers Way.

At Saffron Lane and Tigers Way, they will flash up the 30mph speed limit.

At Burleys Way fly-over, speeding drivers will see a "queuing traffic" signal, and at St George's Way they will be warned of a sharp bend. Michael Jeeves, the city council's traffic impact team leader, said: "The intention of these signs is to get a better enforcement of the speed limit."

At St George's Way, in Leicester, there used to an average of 15 collisions a year in which at least one person was hurt. In its first year as a mobile camera site, the number of crashes was 18.

Driver Chris Brett said he thought he was driving below the speed limit when he was penalised in Tigers' Way, in Leicester.

He said: "It's up to them where they put the cameras, but if they put the cameras in places where it is not clear what the speed limit is, they owe it to drivers to make it clearer."
=====================================

And of course, once regression to the mean is factored in, the other 2/3rds didn't cut crashes either.

http://www.safespeed.org.uk/rttm.html

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

This seems to be the stock answer to the placing of scameras. Does this mean that the government are right?

I can't believe educated people can believe this, after all, many people don't believe the government on so many other subjects, so why do they believe the government on this, I know I don't believe a word that comes out of Tony B Liar's mouth on any other subject, so why would I believe him on this, the same goes for the rest of this despicable government.

_________________
Semper in excreta, nur quantitat variat.

I hope there really is queueing traffic or it will just add to the general contempt for matrix signals.

There is a vehicle activated 30mph sign on the Telegraph flyover in Grimsby, it also is capable, usually accurately, of flashing queue ahead.

_________________
Semper in excreta, nur quantitat variat.