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By
EWAN KENNEDY
26 February 2006
British drivers are becoming even more sceptical about speed
cameras than are Australians. Resulting in a petition that has just been
raised for submission to the UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
Road safety campaigner Paul Smith, of the UK-based Safe Speed
organisation, submitted the petition. He said that only one in 20
accidents was caused by speeding, and blamed an over-reliance on
speed cameras for the failure to cut road deaths. Smith goes on to
say,
"The number of people killed in road accidents [in the UK]
has increased despite the proliferation of speed cameras,
according to new Government figures. A total of 3,210 people died
in crashes in the 12 months to September last year, compared with
3,177 in the same period a year earlier.
"The Department for Transport statistics come three months
after the influential Commons Transport Select Committee said an
obsession with cameras was responsible for a 'deplorable' drop in
the number of officers patrolling Britain's roads."
Paul Smith went on to report that, "Kevin Delaney, former
chief of the Metropolitan Police traffic division and now head of
road safety at the IAM Motoring Trust, says. ‘The deterrent
effect on motorists of a police officer enforcing traffic
regulations is incalculable but we are seeing less and less of
them’.
Following up on that, Smith reported, "The RAC says there
was an 11 per cent reduction in traffic officers between 1996 and
2004 and other estimates suggest cuts of up to a fifth in some
forces between 1999 and 2004. It has repeatedly called for more
patrols to combat the growing underclass of two million drivers
who evade camera fines by driving unregistered and uninsured
vehicles.
"We have the wrong road safety policy and it's making our
drivers worse. Speed cameras and ‘speed kills’ policy is badly
affecting driver skills and driver attitudes. Drivers are so
concerned about getting a speeding ticket that they are less
likely to concentrate on the road ahead." Smith concluded.
The scrap the speed cameras petition to Prime Minister Blair
can be viewed at his official internet website, http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/scrapcam/#detail/.
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Marque Publishing Company
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