Speed Camrea Petition

[SoulKiss]

Once again the Online Petition system is proved to be "We know best and are going to ignore you."

Scrapcam - epetition reply

28 June 2007
We received a petition asking:

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to scrap speed cameras."
Details of Petition:
"After 15 years of speed cameras on British roads, neither road deaths nor hospitalisations have fallen as expected. Drivers know as if by instinct that speed cameras are the wrong road safety policy. The extensive research and analysis conducted by the Safe Speed road safety campaign confirms that drivers have been right all along. Far from making our roads safer, speed cameras have replaced genuine life saving policies and distracted everyone from more important safety factors. Instead... - We must have road safety policies based on skills, attitudes and responsibilities - We must have effective roads policing especially to deal with 'rogue drivers' - We must avoid needlessly prosecuting skilled and responsible drivers driving safely - We must measure what is important, not make important that which is easily measured - and you can't measure safe driving in miles per hour."

• Read the petition
• Petitions home page

Read the Government's response

Thank you for taking the time to register your views about safety cameras on the Number 10 website.
Speeding kills. It is a contributory factor in 26% of all fatal accidents in Great Britain.
The facts are stark. If a child pedestrian is hit at 30mph they stand an 80% chance of surviving. But if they are hit at 40mph they stand an 80% chance of dying. That is why the Government is committed to achieving appropriate vehicle speeds on the roads as part of its integrated road safety strategy.
We are succeeding in changing attitudes, and in making drivers realise that one of their responsibilities is to comply with speed limits. The proportion of car drivers who comply with the 30mph limit has greatly increased over the last few years.
Safety cameras provide a valuable and cost-effective method of preventing, detecting and enforcing speed and traffic light offences. Their use is based on solid evidence. All reliable research from around the world clearly demonstrates that cameras reduce speeds and save lives.
Independent research (new window), published in December 2005, shows that safety cameras had saved around 1,745 people from being killed or seriously injured, and had prevented around 4,230 personal injury collisions on Britain's roads each year.
And while they are saving lives, safety cameras will remain a key part of our road safety strategy.

Nothing surprising there then

Safety cameras provide a valuable and cost-effective

I bet they pay for themselves within 30 minutes of being active.....

Looks like its time for plan B then - tyres and petrol

[the_lone_wolf]

the government is so far in denial it'ss unreal, i think the best thing to do is just treat them like a another road hazard, just something to be negotiated so you can get on with riding/driving as you always do.

how about someone doing a job lot of "i brake for speed cameras" stickers, i'd buy one...

From the response...

The facts are stark. If a child pedestrian is hit at 30mph they stand an 80% chance of surviving. But if they are hit at 40mph they stand an 80% chance of dying. That is why the Government is committed to achieving appropriate vehicle speeds on the roads as part of its integrated road safety strategy.

Oh, not this 'classic' again? Did they actually read the petition at all?

As to All reliable research from around the world clearly demonstrates that cameras reduce speeds and save lives.
Erm no, actually it doesn't. All reliable research from around the world shows that drivers slow for the dragons teeth then speed up again afterwards. All reliable research also shows that the most effective way of lowering drivers speeds for the duration of the effective speed limit is actually those flashing "40" (or whatever speed it is) signs as you enter a new speed limit. If their main concern really was lowering road speeds, they would tear down every speed camera in the country and replace them with the signs.

Still, what do I care. I know where the cameras are on my regular 'playground' roads and can slow for them (and the roads where there are spaces for camera vans) and speed with impunity the rest of the time on NSLs.

This is a snippet from the 'Independant Research' they linked it to:

Vehicle speeds were down - surveys showed that vehicle speeds at speed camera sites had dropped by around 6% following the introduction of cameras. At new sites, there was a 31% reduction in vehicles breaking the speed limit. At fixed sites, there was a 70% reduction and at mobile sites there was a 18% reduction. Overall, the proportion of vehicles speeding excessively (i.e. 15mph more than the speed limit) fell by 91% at fixed camera sites, and 36% at mobile camera sites.

So... the results shows that where cameras were installed... people slowed down... no 5h1t!

I swear... common-sense seems to be one thing lacking in the replies to the petitions.

[ScottishRawker]

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

The facts are stark. If a child pedestrian is hit at 30mph they stand an 80% chance of surviving. But if they are hit at 40mph they stand an 80% chance of dying.

And if the children get taught to look where they are going before crossing the road and to not walk out infront of cars they have a 100% chance of living!