Swindon's speed camera switch-off

[martine]

As has been mentioned here before Swindon are replacing their fixed speed cameras with vehicle activated signs (I guess the ones that display you speed etc).

From the BBC website today I noticed this from a Swindon councillor...

"We'll be working with the road safety partnership, investing in education programmes [and] working with the Institute of Advanced Motorists to improve driver training facilities and with schools and colleges."

Interesting - anyone know any more?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8178347.stm

[fungus]

The reaction from BRAKE was only to be expected. They obviously don't regard the IAM as being capable of delivering benifits in road safety. Their answer to road safety is to plague the country with even more speed cameras, and not just where they are needed. At least Swindon council can be credited with trying another approach to something that they consider is not working. It might just get the motorist on side, instead of making them feel victimised for creeping a few mph over the speed limit.

The problem for the IAM, is how to recruit members, and that's an image thing.

Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

[fungus]

No, No, No, haven't you read what the experts from BRAKE have said. This is a dangerous thing. "The council are playing with peoples lives."

Seriously though, I think Swindon Borough Council are to be commended for at least trying something diferent and not doing as Poole Borough Council, and installing more cameras. Having said that, how many of you have driven on the A500 out of Stoke on Trent? The road is plagued with speed cameras.

Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

[hanse cronje]

the a500 doesn't have any throughout its entire length

[fungus]

Maybe it was the A53. We were travelling up to Blackshaw Moor just north of Leek back in May, and I remember one road coming out of Stoke that seemed to have more than it's fair share of speed cameras.

Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

[ExadiNigel]

No, No, No, haven't you read what the experts from BRAKE have said. This is a dangerous thing. "The council are playing with peoples lives."....

Well, in a way, they are. If teh ksi figures even slightly increase they are going to end up with egg on their faces. I suspect this has been purely political because the grants that should be forthcoming from the camera revenue weren't forthcoming. If my belief is correct, then it is a very dangerous course of action.

Nigel

[PeterE]

Maybe it was the A53. We were travelling up to Blackshaw Moor just north of Leek back in May, and I remember one road coming out of Stoke that seemed to have more than it's fair share of speed cameras.

The A53 between Stoke and Leek does have an inordinate number of cameras, and is also one where the speed limit seems to vary almost at random between 30 and 40.

[crr003]

If teh ksi figures even slightly increase they are going to end up with egg on their faces.

Only if the KSI can be attributed to excessive speed?
But I'm sure you're correct - certain groups will be waiting to pounce.
Although as I understand it you can have statistical variance for any number of reasons.
But then, that won't be as headline capturing!

[fungus]

Has't it recently been revealed by the National Statistics Office that the governments statistics are flawed?

Nigel ADI
IAm trainee observer

[michael769]

Well the results are in!

No crash rise after Swindon speed camera turn-off

The number of accidents on roads next to Swindon's shrouded speed cameras is the same now as when they were active, according to council figures.

The five fixed cameras were covered in July last year after the Conservative-run borough council withdrew funding.
The council said it wanted to divert the money spent on cameras to alternative road safety measures.

Swindon's Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors said they would turn the cameras back on if they had the chance.

Council statistics show there was one death and eight minor accidents on the roads in the six months from August 2008.

In the six months from August last year, there were no fatalities, seven minor accidents and two serious ones.
Councillor Peter Greenhalgh, who is in charge of roads at the council, said the figures were encouraging.

"The period has been relatively short so there is always a chance that there will be a statistical blip, which might actually be that someone has been killed, but so far it really confirms what we were thinking," he said.

The council was the first English local authority to abandon fixed cameras.

Mobile cameras are still used by the police.

I'll admit I am as wary about accepting these results as I am about the claims that the cameras work!

All this proves is that you cannot detect a change in accidents due to these devices over a short timescale!

[oxtondriver]

I like the quote from the lib dems "speed causes accidents"

Personally I thought it was the inappropriate use of speed that causes accidents!

I too am reluctaant to belive these results the sample period is far to small!!

Kris.