The Mail Online is reporting that drivers have been hit by speeding fines to the tune of more than £1 billion. Police forces around the country could, until 2007, keep some of the money raised by this system. This of course provides an incentive for a force to put more cameras up.
My question is though, do you think that speed cameras are a legitimate way to promote road safety and punish those who break the law, or is it simply a case of a way for the government to make some money?
It’s hard to find definitive statistics to get to the root of the problem, but I’ve seen a few different research papers that suggest between 30-45% of accidents had speed as a contributory factor. Of course, that’s not stating it is the only factor, but it’s a worrying thought.
However, to counter this, excessive speed is not of course about the law. Doing 30 mph could be excessive if the road conditions are very poor. This is something that’s seemingly quite readily forgotten by most drivers – that the speed limit is set as a maximum for that particular area, not ‘must do’.
My suggestion is that in order to restore public confidence in road traffic policing, especially when it involves fines, is to use the money raised to make our roads safer. The cash could fill in potholes (and ensure they stay filled), or alternatively it could pay for designing safer roadsides, which would minimise the likelihood of a death should the worst happen. You can see some examples of crash friendly products here.
Speed cameras are not a great system, but if they are here to stay. As long as they deter some from speeding, then they are at least doing something. For me, I personally find adverts like this one to be more impactful though.
MoT G says
April 17, 2010 at 5:14 pmSpeed cameras are just another tax. They do nothing for road safety.
You say ‘It’s hard to find definitive statistics’ which suggests there isn’t any evidence to say they’re useful because if the cameras had any positive effect on safety the government would be shouting about it.
If the government wanted to do something about road safety it would do something about tailgating and keeping safe distances from the car in front.
James Windsor says
April 22, 2010 at 11:17 amI have no problem with speed cameras outside of every school in the country, next to every playground, hospital, anywhere where children gather. However, thats not where they are. They are by and large located on straight roads where if the truth be told in modern cars it would be safe to exceed 60.
Not to mention average speed cameras on motorways, they are dangerous, it takes so much concentration to stick to 50 for the 10 or 15 miles of the roadworks that your hardly paying any attention to the road and whats around you.
There is a place for speed cameras and they can do good work saving lives, however the way the system is currently set up means it is nothing but a tax.
Carl Matthews says
March 13, 2011 at 1:21 pmSpeed enforcement currently costs more to run than it generates. Your average ‘anti’ never considers this, for despite many millions being quoted in the press, the running costs of such operations are completely ignored.
The government has never made a huge profit from speed enforcement because operational costs have always matched or exceeded what is sent to The Treasury.