official pr wrote:
PRAISE FOR A77 DRIVERS AS SPEEDS FALL
Drivers on the A77 in South Ayrshire are being praised for cutting down on
their speed following the publication of statistics for the first three
months of the SPECS average speed safety camera system.
Figures just released by the Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership show that
there have been just 21 speeding offenders caught by camera during the
months of August, September and October.
Chief Inspector Paul Fleming of Strathclyde Police, commented: "This is
most encouraging. The purpose of the cameras, which were launched with a
blaze of publicity in the summer, is to encourage drivers not to speed on
this road where there have been so many tragic crashes in recent years.
"The very low number of offenders shows clearly that the message is being
taken on board by drivers.
"Speed monitoring also shows huge reductions in the number of vehicles
exceeding the speed limits - up to 87 per cent fewer on the dual carriageway
sections and up to 78 per cent fewer on the single carriageways - than
before the cameras went in."
He continued: "Monitoring of traffic numbers also shows that there is no
evidence of traffic diverting on to side roads. In studies carried out in
June and September by South Ayrshire Council on the A719 north of Turnberry
and the B734 east of Girvan there was no increase in vehicles recorded.
Similar monitoring on the A77 shows no decrease in traffic on the main
route."
Sheena Borthwick-Toomey of the A77 Safety Group welcomed the news: "I drive
regularly on the A77 and I think any motorist who travels this road will
recognise the positive effect of the cameras in cutting speeds.
"They do not present a total solution to making the A77 safer but are an
important element in the road safety strategy for the route.
"High speeds lead to higher risk of crashes and more serious resulting
injuries, so effective action to address this is to be warmly welcomed."
Translation: OH MY GOD! These cameras aren't going to pay for themselves!
I've given the following comments to press this afternoon:
> Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
> (
www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "It's a huge mistake to equate reduced speeds
> with improved road safety. It's far too simplistic. It's extremely rare to
> find anywhere on the road network where responsible drivers exceed a safe and
> appropriate speed according to the conditions."
>
> "We need to be concerned instead about a small but highly dangerous
> irresponsible group who use speed recklessly. Unfortunately they are
> frequently unlicenced, driving stolen cars or otherwise far outside the law
> and as such don't give a fig about speed cameras."
>
> "Eventually - and we'll have to wait a long time - crash statistics will prove
> that asking A77 drivers to concentrate on their speedos instead of the road
> ahead was counter-productive."
Edited to add: translation number 2: "And there's NOTHING encouraging in the crash stats."
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