RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

February 7, 2001
PLEA TO CONCENTRATE SPEED CAMERAS IN ACCIDENT AREAS

[BBC News - Speed camera scheme 'saves lives']

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has welcomed news that a pilot scheme to allow police forces to buy more speed cameras is saving lives.

But John Howard, RoSPA Director of Safety Policy, said any extra cameras should be concentrated in areas where there was a known accident problem.

"We want to see cameras used to improve the driving culture in relation to speeding in the UK," John Howard said. "The ‘blanket bomb’ approach is unlikely to win the support of the driver.

"Cameras should be installed on roads where there is a poor accident record. In that way they are likely to have the backing of the local community and are less likely to alienate motorists.

"Speed is said to be a factor in about a third of road accidents, and therefore plays a part in more than 1,000 deaths in Great Britain each year. We have to help motorists to understand that they should drive at the appropriate speed for the conditions at the time - which will often be much lower than the speed limit."

Eight police forces have been taking part in a trial which allows fines to be spent on maintaining and buying new cameras instead of the revenue being passed to the Treasury.

In one of the areas, Northamptonshire, road deaths are reported to have been reduced by 28 per cent since cameras were introduced.