Safe Speed Forums

CRASH DEATHS DROP TO ZERO AFTER SPEED CAMERAS AXED
Tuesday December 29,2009
By Martyn Brown

A TOWN which axed its speed cameras has seen the number of deaths on its roads fall to zero, it was revealed yesterday.
Campaigners against fixed speed cameras – known as Gatsos – are now expected to call for all speed traps in Britain to be removed.
Swindon Borough Council’s figures show that over three months, from August to October 2008 when cameras were in place, there was one fatal accident and four slight injury incidents.
But during the same period this year, after the cameras were removed, there were two serious and four slight injury accidents but no fatal incidents.
Hugh Bladon, of the Association of British Drivers which released the figures, said the findings provide “another final nail in the coffin for speed cameras”.
He added: “What more proof do you need that they don’t work?
“Speed cameras make drivers stop concentrating and that is the worst thing possible for road safety.”
Mr Bladon criticised the Government’s flawed road safety policy and pointed to a big reduction in patrol numbers since Labour came to power in 1997.
He said: “The ‘speed kills’ campaign is a total disaster.
“What we need is more police patrols on our roads.” Ministers have been accused of using speed cameras as a “cash cow” after it was revealed the Treasury received about £100million a year in fines.
Since the fixed cameras were removed in Swindon the number of motorists caught speeding has nosedived by over 50 per cent.
Some 1,194 fewer motorists – from 2,227 to 1,033 – were caught by cameras compared with the same period last year.
The figures lend weight to the Daily Express Let’s Get Britain Moving crusade, calling for a better deal for motorists.
The Conservatives have pledged to halt the war on motorists by freezing the number of speed cameras if they win next year’s General Election.
Meanwhile a speed camera which raked in £2.3million in five years has been dubbed England’s busiest Gatso.
The camera, located on the M11 in Woodford, Essex, flashed 38,243 drivers who broke the 50mph speed limit.
At £60 for a fixed penalty ticket, the camera yielded a potential £2.3million in earnings.
Its location and the whereabouts of the country’s other speeding hot spots were revealed following an order from the Information Commissioner.

In other news, ROAD TRAFFIC INCIDENTS RISE FROM FIVE TO SIX AFTER SPEED CAMERAS AXED.

And let me guess, it's RTTM if the argument's for the cameras , but it's the camera's fault if the argument is against them?

In other news, ROAD TRAFFIC INCIDENTS RISE FROM FIVE TO SIX AFTER SPEED CAMERAS AXED.

The point you have conveniently missed is that there was no carnage when the cameras were disabled

I would urge great caution here! I can't believe anyone is popping champagne corks after a couple of months' data!

I would urge great caution here! I can't believe anyone is popping champagne corks after a couple of months' data!