London drivers face 1,000 new road cameras
Discussion
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/story.jsp?story=373974
30 January 2003
With the impending introduction of the controversial congestion charge, London's motorists must have thought they had enough obstacles in their way.
But today it will be announced that 1,000 new speed cameras are being fitted in the capital in an attempt to cut the number of deaths and serious accidents by 1,125 a year. To pay for the huge increase in fixed roadside and mobile cameras the police and local authorities might have to increase the number of speeding fines from 280,000 a year to 850,000, a road safety study has concluded.
The proposals for a major expansion in speed cameras in London – from 650 – is disclosed in a report by a range of organisations including the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
The five-year scheme for an extra 200 cameras a year would mark a U-turn for the Metropolitan Police which had previously ruled out a large-scale increase in road-side monitors because of fears of alienating the public.
Their use has boomed since the Government agreed in December 1998 that the £60 fines could be used to fund additional camera and safety enforcement.
The crime rate in central London is expected to fall after the congestion charge is introduced next month, a report by the Metropolitan Police has concluded. The automatic number plate reading system is likely to deter many criminals from driving into the centre of the city.
30 January 2003
With the impending introduction of the controversial congestion charge, London's motorists must have thought they had enough obstacles in their way.
But today it will be announced that 1,000 new speed cameras are being fitted in the capital in an attempt to cut the number of deaths and serious accidents by 1,125 a year. To pay for the huge increase in fixed roadside and mobile cameras the police and local authorities might have to increase the number of speeding fines from 280,000 a year to 850,000, a road safety study has concluded.
The proposals for a major expansion in speed cameras in London – from 650 – is disclosed in a report by a range of organisations including the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
The five-year scheme for an extra 200 cameras a year would mark a U-turn for the Metropolitan Police which had previously ruled out a large-scale increase in road-side monitors because of fears of alienating the public.
Their use has boomed since the Government agreed in December 1998 that the £60 fines could be used to fund additional camera and safety enforcement.
The crime rate in central London is expected to fall after the congestion charge is introduced next month, a report by the Metropolitan Police has concluded. The automatic number plate reading system is likely to deter many criminals from driving into the centre of the city.
Wonder what excuse they'll use when casualties don't come down?
"The automatic number plate reading system is likely to deter many criminals from driving into the centre of the city."
HA....so they've never heard of false plates, then?
And who's going to check pics of hundreds of thousands of plates per day?
"The automatic number plate reading system is likely to deter many criminals from driving into the centre of the city."
HA....so they've never heard of false plates, then?
And who's going to check pics of hundreds of thousands of plates per day?
Did they also "conclude" where they would find 570,000 motorists a year who will volunteer to become members of this statistic?
To pay for the huge increase in fixed roadside and mobile cameras the police and local authorities might have to increase the number of speeding fines from 280,000 a year to 850,000, a road safety study has concluded.
If I remember rightly there are 30m drivers, so 1/60 of that group in addition to the current total will be defined as "unsafe" to finance the powers that be.
This takes the P**s. It won't be long before there are back to back GATSOs on every road in the UK.
The damn things DON'T reduce accidents, they DON'T reduce speeds (except in a tiny window where they're pointing) but they DO take driver's attention away from the road and they DO cause the odd (albeit very occasional) accident just by being there.
Of but they DO fund themselves, so that's ok.
AAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE ALL THINGS 'SAFETY' THAT ACTUALLY MEAN 'REVENUE'.
If they'd stop fining people and just ban them I'd accept these cameras as a safety measure.
If they'd stop placing them at random on perfectly safe roads THEN lowering the limits I'd accept them as a safety measure.
If they'd actually E D U C A T E the damn numpties so they know why and where they shouldn't speed I'd accept them as a safety measure.
If they'd put them outside schools instead of double lane dual carrigeways running through fields I'd accept them as safety measures.
In short, if these infernal boxes had ANY relevance to safety at all I'd be happy to see them BUT THEY DO NOT!!!
:seethsquietlytoself:
The damn things DON'T reduce accidents, they DON'T reduce speeds (except in a tiny window where they're pointing) but they DO take driver's attention away from the road and they DO cause the odd (albeit very occasional) accident just by being there.
Of but they DO fund themselves, so that's ok.
AAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE ALL THINGS 'SAFETY' THAT ACTUALLY MEAN 'REVENUE'.
If they'd stop fining people and just ban them I'd accept these cameras as a safety measure.
If they'd stop placing them at random on perfectly safe roads THEN lowering the limits I'd accept them as a safety measure.
If they'd actually E D U C A T E the damn numpties so they know why and where they shouldn't speed I'd accept them as a safety measure.
If they'd put them outside schools instead of double lane dual carrigeways running through fields I'd accept them as safety measures.
In short, if these infernal boxes had ANY relevance to safety at all I'd be happy to see them BUT THEY DO NOT!!!
:seethsquietlytoself:
"Safety" = Moral blackmail and a good excuse for more public sector bureaucracy. "Road safety" has the added benefit of providing a nice profit for politicians to get their hands on for their pet projects.
The combination of this kind of idiot proposal, congestion charging and the Gordon Brown economic miracle (from boom to bust in 6 years) will mean that the southeast's housing problem will be eased - we'll all be emigrating or queueing up at our local post offices/benefit offices instead of driving/commuting in london.
The combination of this kind of idiot proposal, congestion charging and the Gordon Brown economic miracle (from boom to bust in 6 years) will mean that the southeast's housing problem will be eased - we'll all be emigrating or queueing up at our local post offices/benefit offices instead of driving/commuting in london.
To be honest I think this ones doomed to fail. To start with anyone in London that can actually find a clear stretch of road to speed on should be given a frickin medal not a fine.
Second of all how can they be sure they'll catch all these extra speeders to fund the whole thing.
In other areas (notably SPECS systems) the damned cameras didn't make as much money as first thought cos people SLOWED down.
If people do that in London and they don't make the windfall they're hoping to then where will the shortfall in cash come from?
Yup you've guessed it, the taxpayer. Again.
And for once the cops are right, it'll alienate the public even more. I suspect any cops in the Met who objected were quickly silenced by nefarious means (ie. "tow the line or you risk no promotion" type of thing) simply to keep the politicos/council happy.
Lets not forget it's the council that get to claim the money back to spend on "road saftey".
All I can say is I'm glad I don't live in London.
Andy
Second of all how can they be sure they'll catch all these extra speeders to fund the whole thing.
In other areas (notably SPECS systems) the damned cameras didn't make as much money as first thought cos people SLOWED down.
If people do that in London and they don't make the windfall they're hoping to then where will the shortfall in cash come from?
Yup you've guessed it, the taxpayer. Again.
And for once the cops are right, it'll alienate the public even more. I suspect any cops in the Met who objected were quickly silenced by nefarious means (ie. "tow the line or you risk no promotion" type of thing) simply to keep the politicos/council happy.
Lets not forget it's the council that get to claim the money back to spend on "road saftey".
All I can say is I'm glad I don't live in London.
Andy
I was driving down the M1 yesterday morning at about 8:00. For once the traffic was moving reasonably freely (everyone was snowed in down in London 
), but all exceeding the speed limit.
A Safety Camera (I didn't know they actually called them this) van was on one of the bridges. I saw so many near misses as everyone emergency braked in order to slow down. If this safety device didn't cause at least one accident I'd be amazed.
This is a real shame as I do see a role for cameras in road safety. However, the blatant misuse is even getting me to rant about them
Why don't they just raise income tax to 80% and be done with it
.
), but all exceeding the speed limit. A Safety Camera (I didn't know they actually called them this) van was on one of the bridges. I saw so many near misses as everyone emergency braked in order to slow down. If this safety device didn't cause at least one accident I'd be amazed.
This is a real shame as I do see a role for cameras in road safety. However, the blatant misuse is even getting me to rant about them
Why don't they just raise income tax to 80% and be done with it
.
A Safety Camera (I didn't know they actually called them this) van was on one of the bridges.
Which bridge ?
Which county ?
Make a formal complaint. The M1 is one of UK's safest roads.
Why put a camera on it ?
This is a real shame as I do see a role for cameras in road safety. However, the blatant misuse is even getting me to rant about them
Don't just rant. Get up off your bum and do something about it.
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