THE ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH DRIVERS
IN SCOTLAND
Now we Start Getting Evasive
Letter dated 16 October 2002...
Dear Mr Tonks
Thank you for your e-mail of 27 September regarding speed cameras on the A90 trunk road.
There are 24 fixed camera sites along the length of the A90. These were installed over a number of years starting from 1996. Apart from those located at Glamis and Kirriemuir on the Forfar Bypass to address specific accident issues, the rest were largely aimed at reducing excessive and sustained speeds at strategic points along the route so that the number and severity of road accidents might be reduced. It would be wrong therefore to compare accident statistics for each site. However, a comparison of whole route statistics for the 6 years before and after the installation of the first cameras shows a reduction of 23% in fatal accidents and a 9% fall in serious accidents, to which speed cameras have contributed.
Enforcement cameras were first introduced into the UK in 1991. A number of research studies have proved that they are very effective in reducing not only vehilce speeds but also the number and severity of road casualties. Roads authorities have power to install cameras on roads for which they are responsible. Generally, roads authorities meet the cost of the cameras, while the operational costs are met by the police. No specific resources are provided to the police or local authorities for the funding of speed cameras, expenditure for which is met from their existing settlements and in accordance with their local priorities. Different arrangements apply to trunk roads, where the capital costs of cameras are funded by central government.
In December 1998, the UK Government agreed that fine income from enforcement cameras could be used to fund additional camera enforcement, provided strict criteria were met. Pilot schemes were introduced in eight police force areas in Great Britain in April 2000, including one in Glasgow. A report on the first year of operation of the pilot, published in August 2001, showed that overall, the number of injury collisions fell by 35% and the number of people killed or seriously injured fell by 47% at the camera sites in the pilots, compared with the average for the previous three years. Across the eight areas as a whole, the number of drivers speeding at camera sites fell, on average, from 55% to 16%. In the light of these results the Government announced that the cost recovery scheme would be rolled out nationally. With this in mind, speed and accident figures are currently being reviewed to determine whether existing sites are appropriate for inclusion in the scheme.
As I have already explained, the primary purpose of enforcement cameras is to reduce death and injury on the roads. For this reason the cost recovery scheme has to meet strict Treasury criteria to ensure that cameras are not used simply as a means of raising revenue. Accordingly, there is no reason to extract data on the income generated from fixed penalty notices issued in respect of the operation of individual speed cameras on the A90 trunk road.Yours sincerely
MRS J HAGGARTY
Network Support
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