Working for change » Tackling bad driving » Safety cameras
The evidence for safety cameras
A report in July 2010 by the right-wing pressure group, the Tax Payers' Alliance, claimed that safety cameras were ineffective. See For evidence of the real war on motorists, look in the mortuary .
In chronological order key evidence for safety cameras has been documented in:
In 2005: Four year safety camera evaluation report
Both casualties and deaths were down
After allowing for the long-term trend, but without allowing for selection effects (such as regression-to-mean) there was a 22% reduction in personal injury collisions (PICs) at sites after cameras were introduced. Overall 42% fewer people were killed or seriously injured. At camera sites, there was also a reduction of over 100 fatalities per annum (32% fewer). There were 1,745 fewer people killed or seriously injured and 4,230 fewer personal injury collisions per annum in 2004. There was an association between reductions in speed and reductions in PICs.
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.
There was a positive cost-benefit of around 2.7:1
In the fourth year, the benefits to society from the avoided injuries were in excess of £258million compared to enforcement costs of around £96million.
Follow this link to the full 2005 report.
In 2004: Department for Transport three year safety camera evaluation report
Both casualties and deaths were down
After allowing for the long-term trend, there was a 33% reduction in personal injury collisions (PICs) at sites where cameras were introduced. Overall, this meant that 40% fewer people were killed or seriously injured. At camera sites, there was also a reduction of over 100 fatalities per annum (40% fewer). There were 870 fewer people killed or seriously injured and 4,030 fewer personal injury collisions per annum. There was a clear correlation between reductions in speed and reductions in PICs.
Vehicle speeds were down
Surveys showed that vehicle speeds at speed camera sites had dropped by around 7% following the introduction of cameras. At new sites, there was a 32% reduction in vehicles breaking the speed limit. At fixed sites, there was a 71% reduction and at mobile sites there was a 21% reduction. Overall, the proportion of vehicles speeding excessively (ie 15mph more than the speed limit) fell by 80% at fixed camera sites, and 28% at mobile camera sites.
There was a positive cost-benefit of around 4:1
In the third year, the benefits to society from the avoided injuries were in excess of £221million compared to enforcement costs of around £54 million
Follow this link for more information.
In a press release, issued the day this report was published, Professor David Begg, Chair of the Commission for Integrated Transport said :
“It is time for speed camera critics to get real…Those motoring groups and elements of the media that have been critical of speed cameras have been proved totally and conclusively wrong. Stirring up doubt and making mischief about speed cameras is not a game. Speeding is a contributory factor in nearly 30% of the 36,000 serious injuries and 3,400 deaths that occur on Britain's roads each year. To claim otherwise, is to be in denial. This does not help protect the lives of Britains' road users. Today's report proves that speed kills, that cameras reduce speeds at accident spots and that, most importantly, they prevent injuries and save lives. If critics continue to make dishonest claims about the impact of speed and speed cameras, they will end up with blood on their hands. …. The argument is over, the critics have lost the debate.”
Read the full press release here.
In 2003: A cost recovery system for speed and red-light cameras-two year pilot evaluation research
The report of the two-year pilot of speed and red-light cameras was published on 11 February 2003. In the six areas for which data were available, the number of KSIs at camera sites was reduced on average by 35% and across the wider areas by 4% over the two years of the pilot. In both cases this was in addition to the long-term trend. Pedestrian KSI casualties reduced by 56% on average in those areas for which data were available.
Follow this link for the full 2003 report.
