The End Is Nigh For Speed Cameras

Monday, 16. August 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

Could we see the end to speed cameras in the UK? The debate has raged for years as to the true benefits of speed cameras. Their purpose, we were told, was to slow traffic down in dangerous places to prevent accidents and save injuries and lives but we all know what actually happened! I remember the first time I was ‘flashed’ (ooer missus), it was just over the brow of a hill just as you dropped from the national A road limit to 30 mph. It was in the middle of the country, no pedestrians ever walked along this stretch of road and to my knowledge the only accidents occurred when drivers locked up everything seeing the camera causing a little concertina shunt behind, not exactly an accident blackspot. It was simply a means for the local authority to rip off motorists. It has always been a disgrace but since the new Government slashed local authority safety budgets local authorities are re-thinking their speeding strategies. Swindon Council in Wiltshire switched off it’s cameras in 2008 because the believed that they weren’t having an effect. This was proven so when statistics issued earlier this year showed that accidents, where the cameras were sited, were slightly down since being turned off. The latest authority to switch off is Oxfordshire as they have withdrawn from the Thames Valley Road Safety Partnership. This will save them £600,000 as they remove 72 fixed cameras and 89 mobiles. The Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Partnership has been disbanded, due to a funding shortfall with the loss of 40 jobs. Somerset’s local camera partnership has also announced that it will remove the fixed devices over the next few months although mobile cameras will still be used. It would seem that following the withdrawal of funding this is a picture we could see repeated around the country. Are you happy with this, or do you think the cameras save lives? Let me know? By Graham Hill