DRASTIC SPEED CAMERA CHANGES ANNOUNCED - AT LAST
08 November 2005 - Safe Speed

The Times last week revealed major changes in the way that speed cameras aremanaged and financed.

According to The Times:

* Cash for cameras scheme ends
* DfT wants fewer speeding tickets issued
* Cameras to be installed only as ''a last resort''
* Camera officials must work closely with Police and highways authority
* Digital only cameras in motorway road works (SPECS)

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign (www.safespeed.org.uk) said: ''The DfT appears to be moving in the right direction, but it is far too little and far too late. TRL595 proved that fixed cameras were dangerous in motorway roadworks, but that''s just the tip of the iceberg. Speed cameras do not make our roads safer and never will. They are a dangerous distraction and must be scrapped. They are founded only on bad science, faulty logic, commercial interest and oversimplified thinking. We
will not be able to restore road safety trends until the DfT finally wakes up
to road safety reality.''

''After 12 years of speed cameras there is still absolutely no scientific evidence to show that they have an overall beneficial effect on road safety. This is hardly surprising, because they make road safety worse.''

''Safe Speed''s tireless work, pointing out gross flaws in the figures and the assumptions, is really making a difference. No other road safety organisation is focused on the principles that gave us the safest roads in the world in the first place.''

This year has seen a series of ''interesting'' events in the camera programme:

* Partnership staffing freeze
* Camera report severely delayed
* Freeze on camera sites
* Brunstrom goes from ACPO roads policing post
* Hypothecation scrapped

www.safespeed.org.uk

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