Norfolk Casualty Reduction Parsnip

Norfolk Casualty Reduction Parsnip

Author
Discussion

roosevelt

Original Poster:

396 posts

261 months

Tuesday 6th April 2004
quotequote all
the saga continues....

see todays Evening News at; www.eveningnews24.co.uk/Content/News/story.asp?datetime=06+Apr+2004+12%3A01&tbrand=ENOnline&tCategory=NEWS&category=News&brand=ENOnline&itemid=NOED06+Apr+2004+12%3A01%3A17%3A937

FULL TEXT .....

"Suspend speed cameras plea


April 6, 2004 12:01

A MAN claiming responsibility for the destruction of hundreds of speed cameras today called on Norfolk's Chief Constable to suspend their operation until their positioning has been investigated.

Captain Gatso, of the organisation Motorists Against Detection (MAD), said the cameras needed to be switched off until a promised audit was carried out.

The Government has pledged to investigate Norfolk's cameras after a police report by Chief Inspector Andy Hayman suggested they might be in the wrong place.

Department for Transport officials will soon begin questioning bosses at the Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership (NCRP) in response to the report which was handed to the Norfolk Police Authority today.

The investigation carried out by Norfolk police found that in some cases the data used to justify where cameras were put was questionable while on other occasions it was simply unavailable because it had been shredded.

Captain Gatso said that until the report was concluded the cameras should be switched off to prevent motorists being caught out unnecessarily.

He said: "We have come to a stage where the police have decided to investigate what is clearly an abuse of power. It shows that nobody is above the law.

"The Chief Constable has the authority to freeze or suspend the use of cameras and he should use that power to shut them down until the audit is complete."

Last month David Jamieson, a junior transport minister announced that all the 5,500 roadside speed cameras were in the correct position.

His announcement came after he wrote to each of the 42 casualty reduction partnerships requesting assurance they were not in breach of guidelines.

"Obviously somebody was lying and heads must roll," said Captain Gatso.

"Jamieson wrote to them asking if they were in the right position and all the partnerships wrote back saying they were. Now we have the Chief Constable raising doubts and an investigation about to begin. Mr Hayman must not be bullied by the Home Office into another whitewash."

When the Evening News approached Chief Constable Andy Hayman to ask if he would consider using his power to switch off the cameras, he said it would be "inappropriate" to comment.

Superintendent Mark Veljovic, chairman of the Norfolk Casualty reduction Partnership (NCRP), also said it would be inappropriate to comment until the reviews were carried out.

There are 18 fixed cameras in Norfolk covering 6,000 miles of road and according the Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership it is not uncommon for only about five to half film in them.

The most loathed speed camera in Norfolk is situated half way down Grapes Hill in Norwich.

It churns out hundreds of fines a month, raising thousands of pounds for the Government.

Regulation states there must have been four serious injuries or deaths in three years within 900 metres of where a camera has been placed.

At Grapes Hill there have been several serious accident but no deaths.

However at the weekend, the notorious A149 claimed the lives of its sixth and seventh victims in 18 months, yet there are no plans for a fixed speed camera along the busy road.

Rachel McPherson, 34 from Beighton and Gerald Pennell, 88, were killed when Ms McPherson's trike motorcycle crashed into the side of Mr Pennell's BMW at the Cromer Road junction.

Last year five people died on the road, including father of three, David Drake, 40 and community worker, John Hollebon, 45.

Sunday's accident has been labelled an "unfortunate blip" by Bob Clayton, road safety officer for Norfolk County Council.

"The road is not unsafe. There were five crashes last year with no pattern. Sometimes familiarity breeds contempt — the majority of crashes happen six miles from home," he said.

Simon Partridge, deputy leader of North Norfolk Council, said he welcomed the Chief Constable's report and said if he decided to move a speed camera to the A149 the decision would be welcomed.

"Last year we had a series of accidents on the A149 and we fought for a camera on the stretch between Potter Heigham and Smallburgh, but unfortunately never got it.

"Any speed camera in a spot where there have been a number of fatalities such as the A149 must go a long way in reducing further fatalities, and if the Chief Constable decided one is needed here that would be welcomed.""

iandbeech

2,709 posts

258 months

Wednesday 7th April 2004
quotequote all
roosevelt said:
the saga continues....

see todays Evening News at; www.eveningnews24.co.uk/Content/News/story.asp?datetime=06+Apr+2004+12%3A01&tbrand=ENOnline&tCategory=NEWS&category=News&brand=ENOnline&itemid=NOED06+Apr+2004+12%3A01%3A17%3A937

FULL TEXT .....

"Suspend speed cameras plea


April 6, 2004 12:01

A MAN claiming responsibility for the destruction of hundreds of speed cameras today called on Norfolk's Chief Constable to suspend their operation until their positioning has been investigated.

Captain Gatso, of the organisation Motorists Against Detection (MAD), said the cameras needed to be switched off until a promised audit was carried out.

The Government has pledged to investigate Norfolk's cameras after a police report by Chief Inspector Andy Hayman suggested they might be in the wrong place.

Department for Transport officials will soon begin questioning bosses at the Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership (NCRP) in response to the report which was handed to the Norfolk Police Authority today.

The investigation carried out by Norfolk police found that in some cases the data used to justify where cameras were put was questionable while on other occasions it was simply unavailable because it had been shredded.

Captain Gatso said that until the report was concluded the cameras should be switched off to prevent motorists being caught out unnecessarily.

He said: "We have come to a stage where the police have decided to investigate what is clearly an abuse of power. It shows that nobody is above the law.

"The Chief Constable has the authority to freeze or suspend the use of cameras and he should use that power to shut them down until the audit is complete."

Last month David Jamieson, a junior transport minister announced that all the 5,500 roadside speed cameras were in the correct position.

His announcement came after he wrote to each of the 42 casualty reduction partnerships requesting assurance they were not in breach of guidelines.

"Obviously somebody was lying and heads must roll," said Captain Gatso.

"Jamieson wrote to them asking if they were in the right position and all the partnerships wrote back saying they were. Now we have the Chief Constable raising doubts and an investigation about to begin. Mr Hayman must not be bullied by the Home Office into another whitewash."

When the Evening News approached Chief Constable Andy Hayman to ask if he would consider using his power to switch off the cameras, he said it would be "inappropriate" to comment.

Superintendent Mark Veljovic, chairman of the Norfolk Casualty reduction Partnership (NCRP), also said it would be inappropriate to comment until the reviews were carried out.

There are 18 fixed cameras in Norfolk covering 6,000 miles of road and according the Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership it is not uncommon for only about five to half film in them.

The most loathed speed camera in Norfolk is situated half way down Grapes Hill in Norwich.

It churns out hundreds of fines a month, raising thousands of pounds for the Government.

Regulation states there must have been four serious injuries or deaths in three years within 900 metres of where a camera has been placed.

At Grapes Hill there have been several serious accident but no deaths.

However at the weekend, the notorious A149 claimed the lives of its sixth and seventh victims in 18 months, yet there are no plans for a fixed speed camera along the busy road.

Rachel McPherson, 34 from Beighton and Gerald Pennell, 88, were killed when Ms McPherson's trike motorcycle crashed into the side of Mr Pennell's BMW at the Cromer Road junction.

Last year five people died on the road, including father of three, David Drake, 40 and community worker, John Hollebon, 45.

Sunday's accident has been labelled an "unfortunate blip" by Bob Clayton, road safety officer for Norfolk County Council.

"The road is not unsafe. There were five crashes last year with no pattern. Sometimes familiarity breeds contempt — the majority of crashes happen six miles from home," he said.

Simon Partridge, deputy leader of North Norfolk Council, said he welcomed the Chief Constable's report and said if he decided to move a speed camera to the A149 the decision would be welcomed.

"Last year we had a series of accidents on the A149 and we fought for a camera on the stretch between Potter Heigham and Smallburgh, but unfortunately never got it.

"Any speed camera in a spot where there have been a number of fatalities such as the A149 must go a long way in reducing further fatalities, and if the Chief Constable decided one is needed here that would be welcomed.""


What`s a "reduction parsnip"?!!!

Speed cameras in NW Norfolk are quite a rarity. In fact, the A13 london road in Essex where I used to live had more cameras in 1 mile of road than all of this area!!

roosevelt

Original Poster:

396 posts

261 months

Wednesday 7th April 2004
quotequote all
parsnip = partnership, just a little country bumpkin jibe...

simpo two

85,422 posts

265 months

Thursday 8th April 2004
quotequote all
roosevelt said:

"Any speed camera in a spot where there have been a number of fatalities such as the A149 must go a long way in reducing further fatalities, and if the Chief Constable decided one is needed here that would be welcomed.""


Answer 1: What then if he *didn't*...?

Answer 2: Unless the accidents were caused by something other than exessive speed of course... but facts are rarely allowed to interfere with the knee-jerk response.