Safe Speed Forums

Speed cameras are not the best way of making killer roads safer, according to the Road Safety Foundation.
Speed cameras not the best way to cut deaths
Posted 30th Jun 2010 by James Baggott
Filed under: Safety, News
The pressure group has analysed the dangerous roads across the UK that have seen a dramatic reduction in the number of serious injuries and deaths – and it found speed cameras weren't the solution.

The most improved road – the A40 between Llandovery and Camarthen in Wales – slashed the number of serious accidents by a whopping 74 per cent and it didn't use any cameras to do it.
"Road improvements and resurfacing are far more cost effective at reducing road deaths than speed cameras," said a spokeswoman for the Foundation.
"Speed cameras can only be placed where there has been a consistent problem but they cost a lot more than other means of making roads safer."
The A40 improvements included traffic management, spiral road markings, resurfacing with anti-skid toppings, improved junctions and drainage, and adding village gateways.
With these improvements in place, the number of deaths and serious injuries were cut from 27 between 2003-05 to just seven between 2006-08.
These findings from the Road Safety Foundation added to recent news that the coalition government will be ending funding for speed cameras, will come as welcome news for motorists who for years have said speed cameras don't work at reducing accidents.
Dr Joanne Hill, director of the Road Safety Foundation, added: "As the road budget becomes tighter, emphasis must be on saving lives with less.
"There are practical examples of how, with attention to detail, some authorities are slashing the toll of death and serious injury on high risk stretches by as much as three-quarters.
"Simple, relatively inexpensive engineering measures, such as improvements to signing and lining, resurfacing and the layout of signals at junctions, are paying dividends and are affordable particularly when done as part of well planned routine maintenance."

Vote:
Out of the following, what's the best way to cut deaths on killer roads?
1) More speed cameras
2) Better signing and lining
3) Better signals at junctions
4) Resurfacing the roads

The latest research shows that a 43km stretch of single carriageway on the A40 between Carmarthen and Llandovery is Britain's most improved road. The previous level of 54 fatal and serious collisions have been cut by more than 80 per cent to ten, by introducing measures such as resurfacing and improvements to the design and layout of junctions. A further nine roads are rated among the most improved where, typically, resurfacing, changes to junction layout, better signing and white lines are bringing about more than 50 per cent reductions in fatal and serious accidents.

The pressure group has analysed the dangerous roads across the UK that have seen a dramatic reduction in the number of serious injuries and deaths – and it found speed cameras weren't the solution.

Road safety work starts at notorious Huddersfield accident blackspot
Jul 15 2010

SAFETY work has begun at one of Huddersfield’s most dangerous accident blackspots.

Kirklees Council has started making £40,000 worth of improvements to Meltham Road, between Lockwood and Armitage Bridge, after a series of serious road smashes.

Last weekend a crash left a teenager critically injured after two taxis collided head-on near Park Valley Mills in Lockwood. The 19-year-old girl is in hospital with multiple injuries, including a broken back.

The smash was the fourth bad accident in less than three months. The accidents have all taken place between the junction with Hanson Lane, Lockwood, and Armitage Road, Armitage Bridge – a stretch of less than one mile.

Now road upgrades including improved lighting, a red high friction anti-skid surfacing, new improved road lighting studs (cats eyes) and vehicle-activated signs are being installed in a bid to cut the shocking accident rate.

Talented teenage tennis player Christian Lang lost his life in a horror smash on the road outside the Big Valley Garage in July last year.
In June last year a young woman in her 20s had to be pulled from her BMW X3 after it flipped over on the road.

On another tack, the whole of philosophy of young male drivers surely needs tackling. They really believe they’re immortal. I’d ban ‘top gear’ for a start - it's outrageous in it's blatent promotion of speed.

I was a victim in the Huddersfield crash mentioned above in Christian Lang lost his life. I was a front passenger in the car the teenage driver, Christian’s friend, hit. Along with my husband I very nearly lost my life, was on crutches for over six months, and I am left with a disability.

So I read with real interest all the above and am glad that intelligent discussion is going on. Until I read all of this I thought I was 100% for speed cameras – this is the only main route into Huddersfield from outlying communities that has nothing and has undoubtedly in my view, has been used as a speed run by youngsters. The improvements put into place by Kirklees certainly ‘feel’ safer but time will tell. This is a real test case which, as someone who was personally involved, will watch with passionate interest.

I’d ban ‘top gear’ for a start - it's outrageous in it's blatent promotion of speed.

. I'd ban all these stupid lifestyle programmes that tell people they can all have a millionaire lifestyle, but that's just me.

I can’t comment on the alcohol or accident details for the time being. My mind’s open on cameras – as I say I’ll watch to see if the other measures brought in by Kirklees on the road of my accident work. I hope so. I don’t have hard feelings or anger against anyone. Truly. Surely though the undisputed fact is that proportionally a number of young male drivers cause by far and away more deaths and serious injuries than the rest of the driving population. That's the point I raised. I’m all for keeping open minds and thinking clearly – anything that tackles this problem. As I said originally I nearly lost my life in the bloody carnage that ensued and tragically, someone else did lose theirs. Also, importantly, a young man has to live with this for the rest of his life.