MP attacks Hants police/scameraship
Discussion
Check out the editorial ('Star Comment') - I don't think I've ever read one like it 
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www.shstar.co.uk/story.asp?intid=1771
'THE SPEED CAMERA CLAIMS ARE HYPED' -by CLIFF MOGG
Fact: As cameras increased, so did deaths.
Fact: There were few A325 accidents - and no fatalities
Fact: In three years, only two A325 accidents were definitely speed related.
by CLIFF MOGG
ALDERSHOT MP Gerald Howarth has accused Hampshire police of “hyping up”
accidents to justify targeting drivers with a speed camera on the A325 at
Farnborough.
He made the claim after being given details of the number of accidents which
have occurred on the dual carriageway, between the Clockhouse Roundabout and
the former Queen’s Hotel, during the past three years.
The figures released by the Hampshire Safety Camera Partnership reveal there
were only seven serious accidents during that period, none involving
fatalities.
In one case speed was not a factor, and in four cases it was possibly a
factor. There were just two accidents definitely caused by speeding drivers.
Mr Howarth said the statistics showed that the stretch of road was “hardly
an accident blackspot”, although it was a rich source of fines levied on
motorists.
His findings follow growing protests from drivers who have been “clocked” by
a police camera and fined for often travelling at just over the 30mph speed
limit on the dual carriageway.
“The police have been trying to justify their intensive campaign on the
grounds that the road is unduly dangerous,” he said.
But the statistics have blown a hole in this argument. “Hampshire traffic
police have been disappointingly misleading in the way they have hyped up
accidents on the Farnborough Road,” said Mr Howarth.
“I am all for dangerous drivers being penalised, and I am not opposed to
cameras in principle, but persecuting ordinary motorists is not the answer.”
He also crossed swords with Hampshire police chief Paul Kernaghan who told
him in a letter that the speed “traps” were operated by officers using
“highly conspicuous police vehicles.”
Mr Howarth said that, on the contrary, the camera van used to trap motorists
on the A325 was usually parked almost out of sight.
It is often parked on the Farnborough Road, facing north by the Pinehurst
roundabout, he continued, where drivers could not see it until rounding the
corner where they were immediately targeted.
He added evidence nationally indicated that speed cameras do not save lives.
In Hampshire, he said, the number of cameras has increased from 23 in 2001
to 51 in the first 11 months of last year.
“Yet the number of people killed in fatal car crashes jumped from 69 to
104,” said Mr Howarth.
He added: “It is time the police recognised that their policy is not
producing safer roads and, worse still, is alienating the public.”
STAR COMMENT
Deluded senior policemen, supported by dim, politically correct
“politicians,” insist that speed cameras “save lives.” A whole industry has
sprung up to spread this lie, paid for by fines from long-suffering drivers.
The facts show otherwise. Not only have road deaths rocketed by a third in
Hampshire, commonsense and observation show the wretched Big Brother cameras
are making driving worse, by encouraging people to brake suddenly or drive
along with eyes glued to their speedos.
Those who have allowed driving along the A325 to become a nightmare, with
creeping coppers lurking in vans to nab “criminals” doing 36 mph, and
illogical bus lanes, on which there seem to be virtually no buses, need to
be booted out of their sinecures. This, by the way, means most local county
councillors who have watched, thumbs in mouths, while this lunacy has
enveloped us.
Drivers can fight back by joining the Association of British Drivers,
getting the facts and lobbying hard (enquiries@abd.org.uk)
Meanwhile, Hampshire’s senior policemen might reflect on the side effect
that their unfair, draconian attack on motorists is having. The feedback I
get is that they are now universally disliked and regarded almost with
contempt, as we all know that criminals get away with crime on a regular
basis while the speed vans are zooming in on what I make no apologies for
calling “law abiding citizens.” ALAN FRANKLIN
---------------------
www.shstar.co.uk/story.asp?intid=1771
'THE SPEED CAMERA CLAIMS ARE HYPED' -by CLIFF MOGG
Fact: As cameras increased, so did deaths.
Fact: There were few A325 accidents - and no fatalities
Fact: In three years, only two A325 accidents were definitely speed related.
by CLIFF MOGG
ALDERSHOT MP Gerald Howarth has accused Hampshire police of “hyping up”
accidents to justify targeting drivers with a speed camera on the A325 at
Farnborough.
He made the claim after being given details of the number of accidents which
have occurred on the dual carriageway, between the Clockhouse Roundabout and
the former Queen’s Hotel, during the past three years.
The figures released by the Hampshire Safety Camera Partnership reveal there
were only seven serious accidents during that period, none involving
fatalities.
In one case speed was not a factor, and in four cases it was possibly a
factor. There were just two accidents definitely caused by speeding drivers.
Mr Howarth said the statistics showed that the stretch of road was “hardly
an accident blackspot”, although it was a rich source of fines levied on
motorists.
His findings follow growing protests from drivers who have been “clocked” by
a police camera and fined for often travelling at just over the 30mph speed
limit on the dual carriageway.
“The police have been trying to justify their intensive campaign on the
grounds that the road is unduly dangerous,” he said.
But the statistics have blown a hole in this argument. “Hampshire traffic
police have been disappointingly misleading in the way they have hyped up
accidents on the Farnborough Road,” said Mr Howarth.
“I am all for dangerous drivers being penalised, and I am not opposed to
cameras in principle, but persecuting ordinary motorists is not the answer.”
He also crossed swords with Hampshire police chief Paul Kernaghan who told
him in a letter that the speed “traps” were operated by officers using
“highly conspicuous police vehicles.”
Mr Howarth said that, on the contrary, the camera van used to trap motorists
on the A325 was usually parked almost out of sight.
It is often parked on the Farnborough Road, facing north by the Pinehurst
roundabout, he continued, where drivers could not see it until rounding the
corner where they were immediately targeted.
He added evidence nationally indicated that speed cameras do not save lives.
In Hampshire, he said, the number of cameras has increased from 23 in 2001
to 51 in the first 11 months of last year.
“Yet the number of people killed in fatal car crashes jumped from 69 to
104,” said Mr Howarth.
He added: “It is time the police recognised that their policy is not
producing safer roads and, worse still, is alienating the public.”
STAR COMMENT
Deluded senior policemen, supported by dim, politically correct
“politicians,” insist that speed cameras “save lives.” A whole industry has
sprung up to spread this lie, paid for by fines from long-suffering drivers.
The facts show otherwise. Not only have road deaths rocketed by a third in
Hampshire, commonsense and observation show the wretched Big Brother cameras
are making driving worse, by encouraging people to brake suddenly or drive
along with eyes glued to their speedos.
Those who have allowed driving along the A325 to become a nightmare, with
creeping coppers lurking in vans to nab “criminals” doing 36 mph, and
illogical bus lanes, on which there seem to be virtually no buses, need to
be booted out of their sinecures. This, by the way, means most local county
councillors who have watched, thumbs in mouths, while this lunacy has
enveloped us.
Drivers can fight back by joining the Association of British Drivers,
getting the facts and lobbying hard (enquiries@abd.org.uk)
Meanwhile, Hampshire’s senior policemen might reflect on the side effect
that their unfair, draconian attack on motorists is having. The feedback I
get is that they are now universally disliked and regarded almost with
contempt, as we all know that criminals get away with crime on a regular
basis while the speed vans are zooming in on what I make no apologies for
calling “law abiding citizens.” ALAN FRANKLIN
I thoroughly endorse what the MP and the Star said. The scamera van is carefully placed; the bus lanes have no buses in them and cause congestion at peak times.
Oh, and the "No killed on this stretch of road this year" has not been updated yet, so shows an out of date figure. Just more lies!
Streaky
Heard on the North West news last night that a Lancashire MP was speaking out against the current use of cameras too.
Quick Google shows this - www.nigelmp.com/article.php?id=401
Basically his argument is that number of cameras in Lancashire is up, number of deaths on the road is up. So the cameras aren't saving lives.
Quick Google shows this - www.nigelmp.com/article.php?id=401
Basically his argument is that number of cameras in Lancashire is up, number of deaths on the road is up. So the cameras aren't saving lives.
d-man said:
Heard on the North West news last night that a Lancashire MP was speaking out against the current use of cameras too.
Quick Google shows this - www.nigelmp.com/article.php?id=401
Basically his argument is that number of cameras in Lancashire is up, number of deaths on the road is up. So the cameras aren't saving lives.
Lancs also runs "Speed Awareness Course" (cuts off at 35mph). Heard reports/rumours/mutterings that they now issue NIPs at 31-35 to get the bums on seats, and have ca 3 classes of 25 per day at £85-95 each! Heard from someone who got an invite that the "interactive DVD hazard perception" (similar to all other L-Test software on the counters at the local store) means groups of 6-7 people huddled around the monitor playing "spot the hazard!" That is "interactive?" They said that the afternoon drive with the ADI instructor was spent on fast roads applying C.O.A.S.T. as well, and not the roads where they practise driving in "3rd gear" and applying C.O.A.S.T.! But overall, the person thought it was a good course and felt it was a good refresher course!
Not knocking the idea at all -as it is good initiative, but am warped enough to see makings of scam here! Good post at bit back on another site from lady who went on one of these!
But given they have the course, they have more scams than anywhere else, and that death rates are increasing - something is definitely wrong! But we know Lancs - they downgrade dual carriageways to 30 and whack up a scam! They admitted on "prestontoday" that they had given a loose interpretation to the guidelines as well! Lots of comments in the local papers as well from unimpressed locals!
Conclusion: they put the scams in the fleece spots and not the blackspots!
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