Mixed Messages Over The Shutting Down Of Speed Cameras

Monday, 23. August 2010

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After reporting that many councils were planning to shut down their speed cameras, after the government announced its £38 million cut in road safety grants across the country, Mick Giannasi, head of road policing for the Association of Chief Police Officers, threw a spanner in the works by claiming that speed cameras were a big reason why deaths and serious injuries had been halved from 8 years ago. He went on to say ‘Road safety camera partnerships have achieved significant reductions in road casualties.’ As a result Giannasi has written to Government ministers to warn that casualties would rise again if speed cameras were switched off. Meanwhile Cambridgeshire Chief Constable, Julie Spence said that speeding was the worst kind of anti-social behaviour of the middle classes. I’m sure she meant of the crimes committed by the middle classes rather than attributing most speeding violations to the middle classes. What do you think, do speed cameras really work? By Graham Hill