First open motorway cameras go live

M4 in Wilts to suffer revenue-generating scameras

By PH Staff / Wednesday, 13 April 2005 / Loading comments

Keep cameras for road works

Speed cameras go live today on the M4 in Wiltshire, generating fury in ordinary motorists and representative groups. It's the first time that scameras are to be used on motorways other than for special situations such as road works.

Wiltshire Camera Partnership's (WCP) decision to deploy speed camera vans on the M4 is a clear demonstration of how spurious safety arguments are an excuse to raise money, according to the Association of British Drivers.

"Camera partnerships are locally based organisations," said ABD spokesman Nigel Humphries. "So if they catch too many local people on local roads, they lose the support of their constituents. A motorway is one great big gravy train for them, full of people who don't live in their area, who they can rip off without fear of any local political fallout. It's taxation without representation."

As usual with the camera partnerships, the WCP justifies its actions by quoting the number of accidents that have occurred in a three year period. However, it makes no attempt to explain why these accidents happened, or to demonstrate why slowing people from 85 to 75mph will make a difference.

"In fact, if you ask camera partnerships to release details of what caused the accidents that they are using to justify cameras, they won't tell you", said Humphries. "How can keeping the causes of accidents a secret be consistent with an organisation that's supposed to be about improving safety?"

On a motorway, this scam is more obvious than elsewhere. Anyone can see that accidents on motorways are caused by inattention, tailgating and changing lanes without looking. The more serious ones are caused by the bored and inattentive drivers of speed limited trucks and coaches ploughing into the back of stationary traffic.

The RAC Foundation said speed cameras are "irrelevant" to these accidents -- in fact they make them worse by making drivers switch their cruise controls on and their brains off.

"This pattern of lying about the true causes of accidents to justify cameras is well established, and that's why road deaths are increasing in Britain rather than falling as the camera apologists predicted," said Humphries.

"They work this scam on all roads, but the simplicity of a motorway makes it easier to expose. Camera partnerships have got a built-in financial incentive to indulge themselves in pointless speed enforcement to the detriment of safe, attentive driving, and that's why they should be abolished immediately."