Cambridgeshire camera site accident stats.

['King Deadly]

I see Cambridgeshire SCP have put accident stats for their cameras, at:-

http://tinyurl.com/5swos

They've made it difficult - instead of a large table where you can draw easy conclusions, you have to click on each camera site individually. But, hey, I'm sure that's just an oversight.

After a quick straw poll of sites, it seems to me that casualties increased at almost as many sites as they decreased. At one site there were 9 injuries in the three years before the camera, and 21 in the following three years (A47 Wisbech Road - the leftmost of the close group of three, top-centre of the map)

Interestingly they've chosen to say on the site:-

CSCP said:

Because of the small numbers involved, going from 0 casualties before, to 2 casualties after installation of a camera is not indicative of an ineffective camera. Accidents are, by their own definition, unpredictable and open to natural fluctuation in their occurrence

Doesn't stop them crowing about "50% reduction in casualties" when they drop from 2 to 1, though, does it?

[Globulators]

I'm still waiting for these slippery tax collectors to reply to my question about why they never put speed limit signs on the camera poles.

['King Deadly]

Globulators said:

I'm still waiting for these slippery tax collectors to reply to my question about why they never put speed limit signs on the camera poles.

But you already know the answer anyway.

[Globulators]

'King Deadly said:

But you already know the answer anyway.

I know - but I want them to say it!

[james_j]

Perhaps a suggestion that they put totalled figures across all cameras in table format would be a good idea...

[Globulators]

james_j said:

Perhaps a suggestion that they put totalled figures across all cameras in table format would be a good idea...

Did that already, I wanted figures for each year at each site. They haven't collected 2004 figures yet they say, but will release them under the 'freedom of information act'.
Funny how a public body has to have a law to force it to disclose figures .... 'tho. it might be a way to get other figures from different scumera money schemes.
I also asked them how they felt about revenue cameras on long straight roads when children outside schools can be seem playing near the road. They ignored that one.

[james_j]

So they cherry pick and manipulate results, but if you want any further information, they quote the Freedom of Information Act (red tape?) to get any more.

Now there's a surprise.

[autismuk]

It's quite fascinating.

I can't find any figures for serious injuries more than two or three, there are hardly any deaths at all.

The figures are basically useless as they stand, it is simply random fluctuations.

Other obvious things that don't seem to have been accounted for.

(i) sometimes the before and after periods are different lengths. It's probably coincidential that the "before" periods are longer and thus encompass more accidents.

(ii) Periods appear to have been arbitrarily chosen. e.g. Before 1994-1996 - After 1999-2001. Of course, anyone would think that these figures were selected conveniently - there appears to be absolutely no pattern to the selection period at all.

(iii) The figures do not seem to have been normalised for the growth in traffic over those periods. One specifically thinks about the A14, which used to be the A604 and wandered to Kettering.....

[Globulators]

S Clarkson Cambridgeshire Safety Camera Partnership said:

Thank you for your enquiry through our website. There is no current requirement for speed limits to be marked on safety cameras. The use of road signs is actually governed by Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) for which the Department for Transport are responsible. Safety Cameras used under the direction of the DfT's National Safety Camera Programme are required to be signed in advance in accordance with the Programme's Handbook of Rules and Guidance which is also available on the DfT's website. www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/homepage/dft_home_page.hcsp Regards, S Clarkson Cambridgeshire Safety Camera Partnership Should you have any further queries or follow up comments, please contact us through the Cambridgeshire Constabulary website at www.cambs.police.uk N.B. YOU CAN NOT USE THE REPLY BUTTON

So they did reply but just to say "we don't have to". I've asked them to actually answer the question but I'm expecting more embarrased shuffling....