RE: Flash, Bang, Wallop!
Monday 1st October 2007
Welcome to WiltshireThe country's most 'flash-happy' speed cameras have been revealed, with the top 100 last year responsible for dishing out a million penalty points.
A survey, based on using the Freedom of Information laws, has found these cameras alone brought in more than £18 million in the past 12 months - with one of them snaring a speeding driver every TWO minutes.
So if you live in the rural county of Wiltshire it's bad news because that's where all motorists should fear.
In just one year, its top 10 cameras issued 42,417 fixed penalty notices between them, amounting to £2.5 million in fines and some 127,000 penalty points.
Each penalty sees drivers fined £60 - plus three penalty points. A 30-mile stretch of the A303 across Salisbury Plain is included four times in the county's top 10 cameras.
In all, the top 100 sites in the study issued 312,995 fixed penalties in one year - more than £18 million in total.
The UK is now watched by more than 6,000 fixed and mobile cameras, which the Department for Transport says have cut the number of deaths and serious injuries on the road. However, the DfT is now re-evaluating how it calculates these statistics.
Overall, 21 Safety Camera Partnerships provided a complete response to the request.
These are the areas of England and Wales with the highest total of fixed penalty notices from their 10 busiest sites, with the number of fixed penalty notices.
Flash, Bang, Wallop!
Britain's busiest speed cameras revealed
Welcome to Wiltshire
A survey, based on using the Freedom of Information laws, has found these cameras alone brought in more than £18 million in the past 12 months - with one of them snaring a speeding driver every TWO minutes.
So if you live in the rural county of Wiltshire it's bad news because that's where all motorists should fear.
In just one year, its top 10 cameras issued 42,417 fixed penalty notices between them, amounting to £2.5 million in fines and some 127,000 penalty points.
Each penalty sees drivers fined £60 - plus three penalty points. A 30-mile stretch of the A303 across Salisbury Plain is included four times in the county's top 10 cameras.
In all, the top 100 sites in the study issued 312,995 fixed penalties in one year - more than £18 million in total.
The UK is now watched by more than 6,000 fixed and mobile cameras, which the Department for Transport says have cut the number of deaths and serious injuries on the road. However, the DfT is now re-evaluating how it calculates these statistics.
Overall, 21 Safety Camera Partnerships provided a complete response to the request.
These are the areas of England and Wales with the highest total of fixed penalty notices from their 10 busiest sites, with the number of fixed penalty notices.
- Wiltshire 42,417
- Essex 35,859
- South Wales 35,213
- Leicestershire 32,549
- Gtr Manchester 29,805
- London 28,621
- Lancashire 28,467
- Northumbria 27,851
- West Mercia 27,423
- Cheshire 24,790
Discussion
Scamper said:
Wiltshire - the safest county in the UK ???? Probably not as we still have Fatal Accidents on the M4 (which has to be speed camera'd for some reason) either side of the cameras......
ah - dont forget though.They made it safe by dropping all the perfectly safe NSL A roads to 40 and 50 zones, then littering them with GATSO's and Scamera's (when they werent patrolling the M4).
Of course, children are no longer falling down dead because someone hit 65mph on the A4...
Scamper said:
Wiltshire - the safest county in the UK ???? Probably not as we still have Fatal Accidents on the M4 (which has to be speed camera'd for some reason) either side of the cameras......
if you read the text, it says:"Overall, 21 Safety Camera Partnerships provided a complete response to the request."
ie. several cleary either were not asked or did not reply in full....
Disclaimer: I do not like the concept of speed cameras and believe they do more harm then good. I also understand that in many cases cameras are hidden so what I'm about to say is not a blanket statement.
I drive the A303 several times a year from Basingstoke all the way to Honiton and every speed camera is highly visible. I cannot understand how a safe, observant driver cannot notice every single speed camera on the A303. You have to be so oblivious to the road ahead that I have no sympathy with those caught on this road.
I drive the A303 several times a year from Basingstoke all the way to Honiton and every speed camera is highly visible. I cannot understand how a safe, observant driver cannot notice every single speed camera on the A303. You have to be so oblivious to the road ahead that I have no sympathy with those caught on this road.
alock said:
Disclaimer: I do not like the concept of speed cameras and believe they do more harm then good. I also understand that in many cases cameras are hidden so what I'm about to say is not a blanket statement.
I drive the A303 several times a year from Basingstoke all the way to Honiton and every speed camera is highly visible. I cannot understand how a safe, observant driver cannot notice every single speed camera on the A303. You have to be so oblivious to the road ahead that I have no sympathy with those caught on this road.
You know I agree with that I used to go the entire length of that both ways + the M3 and A38 every 2 weeks. I've never not seen them, nor for that matter have I ever seen anyone else caught by them oh well. I drive the A303 several times a year from Basingstoke all the way to Honiton and every speed camera is highly visible. I cannot understand how a safe, observant driver cannot notice every single speed camera on the A303. You have to be so oblivious to the road ahead that I have no sympathy with those caught on this road.
alock said:
Disclaimer: I do not like the concept of speed cameras and believe they do more harm then good. I also understand that in many cases cameras are hidden so what I'm about to say is not a blanket statement.
I drive the A303 several times a year from Basingstoke all the way to Honiton and every speed camera is highly visible. I cannot understand how a safe, observant driver cannot notice every single speed camera on the A303. You have to be so oblivious to the road ahead that I have no sympathy with those caught on this road.
It's not the fixed cameras though is it. Wiltshire have a couple of bike cameras whose riders lean on corners (of course they don't hide) and lots of vans.I drive the A303 several times a year from Basingstoke all the way to Honiton and every speed camera is highly visible. I cannot understand how a safe, observant driver cannot notice every single speed camera on the A303. You have to be so oblivious to the road ahead that I have no sympathy with those caught on this road.
FLASH,Bang WALLET ! -more like in some cases.
mind you I can't complain-Lincolnshire not on the list either-AND i've noticed a drop in Scamera vans in recent weeks, with occasional portable flashing "Your Speed" signs.
edited to remove wrong reference-oops
mind you I can't complain-Lincolnshire not on the list either-AND i've noticed a drop in Scamera vans in recent weeks, with occasional portable flashing "Your Speed" signs.
edited to remove wrong reference-oops
Edited by sprinter885 on Monday 1st October 14:00
" 30-mile stretch of the A303 across Salisbury Plain is included four times in the county's top 10 cameras"
Now I don't want to grumble too much, but....
I was caought on the A303 some 3 years ago, and did some investigation into the justification for the particular camera, as it was on a long stretch of road, marked with 2 lanes on one side and 1 on the other (those of you who know this road may remember it was once marked as a 2 lane (single carriageway) road, on which people going in either direction would overtake down the middle and give way if something bigger was coming the other way - suicide lane we called it).
The powers that be helpfully told me that between 1997 and 2000 there were roughly (I cannot remember exactly) 2 deaths and 2 major injuries per year on that stretch. Sounds like good justification!
However, after 2000 there were no (i.e. ZERO) injuries or deaths... How strange I thought, so I asked them when they had changed the road layout from the crazy 2 wide lanes (one each way, with overtaking lines down the middle) to a much more sensible (alternating) 2 lane one side, one the other, with double white lines in the middle... No answer, ever!
Call me a cynic if you like, but this report backs up why those cameras remain, despite a lack of recent evidence to prove the stretch of road is dangerous any longer!
One other important fact I should mention, the camera had been there since 1994 (although no stats were available prior to 1997) so clearly a case of sensible road layout making all the difference and actually saving lives.
Clear evidence that these cameras are just there as money making tools!!!
Now I don't want to grumble too much, but....
I was caought on the A303 some 3 years ago, and did some investigation into the justification for the particular camera, as it was on a long stretch of road, marked with 2 lanes on one side and 1 on the other (those of you who know this road may remember it was once marked as a 2 lane (single carriageway) road, on which people going in either direction would overtake down the middle and give way if something bigger was coming the other way - suicide lane we called it).
The powers that be helpfully told me that between 1997 and 2000 there were roughly (I cannot remember exactly) 2 deaths and 2 major injuries per year on that stretch. Sounds like good justification!
However, after 2000 there were no (i.e. ZERO) injuries or deaths... How strange I thought, so I asked them when they had changed the road layout from the crazy 2 wide lanes (one each way, with overtaking lines down the middle) to a much more sensible (alternating) 2 lane one side, one the other, with double white lines in the middle... No answer, ever!
Call me a cynic if you like, but this report backs up why those cameras remain, despite a lack of recent evidence to prove the stretch of road is dangerous any longer!
One other important fact I should mention, the camera had been there since 1994 (although no stats were available prior to 1997) so clearly a case of sensible road layout making all the difference and actually saving lives.
Clear evidence that these cameras are just there as money making tools!!!
Nick_F said:
This must include vans - the fixed cameras on the A303 have been there for ever and are, as someone said, amongst the most highly visible anywhere: they're not just yellow, they're reflective, too.
Whilst i agree with this one of the speed cameras on that strecth of road is where it changes from 1 lane to 2 lanes up a hill.So you accelarate to get past the numerous lorries and caravans and then get flashed by the speed camera!
I live in Wiltshire and also drive the 303 to Cornwall now and then. Know the cameras pretty well, though some day I'm goign to roll into Tidworth too fast and get zapped.
I've had a near miss with the vans on the 303 and on the bridges on the A419 up from Swindon. That said, I read the parish magazine and they're taking of doing something to about speeding in the village. Hope they get some of those bloody trucks for once, hopefull they won't get up early enough to catch me.
I've had a near miss with the vans on the 303 and on the bridges on the A419 up from Swindon. That said, I read the parish magazine and they're taking of doing something to about speeding in the village. Hope they get some of those bloody trucks for once, hopefull they won't get up early enough to catch me.
greed camera
love that, they have to make all signs for those stupid things like that, that would make more sence.No Oxfordshire!
The pompous gits must have chickened out then of supplying details - probably make Wiltshire look like a non-starter.
As for comments earlier about not seeing bright yellow reflective cameras - of course we see 'em, but why the f.. does everybody brake for them when 99 per cent of the time nobody is going above the limit?
Passed the two on A40 to Oxford either side of road and even though it's an incline, and the stream in front of me were all doing about or under 55 (peeing down with rain so all driving sensibly - until the cameras!) and nearly all of them braked!
Safety? ££££££££ is truer.
The pompous gits must have chickened out then of supplying details - probably make Wiltshire look like a non-starter.
As for comments earlier about not seeing bright yellow reflective cameras - of course we see 'em, but why the f.. does everybody brake for them when 99 per cent of the time nobody is going above the limit?
Passed the two on A40 to Oxford either side of road and even though it's an incline, and the stream in front of me were all doing about or under 55 (peeing down with rain so all driving sensibly - until the cameras!) and nearly all of them braked!
Safety? ££££££££ is truer.
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