Here Leicester Mercury wrote:
Almost a third of speed fines in Leicestershire from 10 cameras
Monday, February 22, 2010, 09:31
Nearly a third of all motorists caught speeding in Leicestershire are snared by 10 cameras, it has emerged.
Last year, 17,426 drivers were caught breaking the speed limit by nine cameras in the city and one in the county.
Based on the minimum £60 penalty for a motorist caught speeding, the 10 cameras have generated more than £1m in fines.
The cameras have also seen 52,278 penalty points slapped onto drivers' licences – enough to disqualify 4,356 drivers.
The busiest cameras are in Aylestone Road, near Banks Road; two in King Richard's Road; London Road, near to University Road; Welford Road, near to Leicester Prison; two in Tigers Way; Uppingham Road, near to Peters Drive; one mobile camera site in London Road, near to Leicester racecourse, and Station Road, in North Kilworth.
Hema Lad, from Leicestershire Safety Camera Partnership, who released the figures, said: "These are central roads with high volumes of traffic even outside peak times, so automatically it is more likely the numbers will be higher compared to a static camera out in the county.
"But, equally, if they are very busy roads people should be more careful because not only are there more cars and therefore more danger, but, in the city there are more pedestrians."
The other 117 cameras, which includes 67 mobile camera sites and 11 cameras that only record motorists jumping a red light, recorded 40,120 offences over the same period.
The remaining cameras generated in excess of £2.4m in fines and 120,360 penalty points.
Money generated from speeding fines goes directly to the Government, not to the local authority.
Critics say the cameras are solely as a source of revenue.
However, before each camera is placed, the partnership must meet criteria based on the number of collisions resulting in injury and evidence of a speeding problem.
Since speed cameras were introduced there has been a 63% reduction in collisions resulting in fatality or serious injury at camera sites.
There has also been a 31% reduction in personal injury casualty collisions.
Ms Lad said: "Just looking at the fact that collisions are going down and that we are catching less people shows us that the problem is reducing and that the cameras are working.
"We are not trying to catch people, we are trying to deter people from speeding."
Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA, said he was in support of speed cameras, but added that many drivers would not learn to slow down until they were hit in the pocket.
He said: "To some extent people learn, but perhaps there are people that have not had their first ticket. The first ticket is the one that has the biggest effect."
Oh how little they understand what it happening ! They are not fit for purpose.
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