http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/black ... 3555079.jp
Massive increase in speeding fines
THE number of speeding fines issued in Lancashire has rocketed by 167 per cent in the last 10 years.
New figures show the county is ranked ninth in the UK when it comes to issuing the most fixed penalty notices.
More than 23,800 speeding tickets were handed out in 1997 compared to 63,500 – worth £3.8m – in 2005, the most recent year figures are available.
Paul Smith, of Safespeed, which campaigns against the use of speed cameras, has accused the Government of "fining millions of motorists without making the roads any safer".
He said: "Speed cameras have a significant negative impact on road safety – they are actually making matters worse."
But John Davis, project manager for Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, said he was not surprised by the increase.
He said: "I would expect there to be a rise – the majority of speed cameras in the county were installed in 2001.
"There has been an increase in the number of speed cameras so it makes sense there would be more speeding fines.
"The evidence we have from speed cameras is that they are very successful. There is no evidence to suggest drivers slow down in front of speed cameras and then speed up again."
Neil Greig of the IAM Motoring Trust, an independent road safety organisation, said
speed cameras were an essential part of road safety.
He said: "I don't think enough is being done to convince people of the need for these cameras. When you look at the huge number of people being caught like this, the message isn't getting through."
The figures also revealed that while the number of speeding tickets has increased, road deaths across the country have only fallen by seven per cent.
But Mr Davis insisted there was a wide range of road safety measures in Lancashire.
He said: "The focus is often on speed cameras but there are a lot of other measures in place such as education, publicity, 20mph zones and training courses.
"We run driver improvement and speed awareness courses. There are also courses especially for motorcyclists too now. There is quite a comprehensive range of road safety measures being undertaken now."