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Adonis attacks ‘muddle and mystery’ of Conservative speed camera policy
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent06.10.09
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis today accused the Tories of being in a “total muddle” over the party's speed camera policy.
He claimed that a major announcement by shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers “flatly contradicted” the stance taken by Boris Johnson's transport chief.
Ms Villiers is proposing scrapping local safety camera partnerships and stopping central Government funding for new fixed-location speed cameras.
Local authorities would have to pay for any of these new cameras themselves, while funds raised from fines go straight to the Treasury.
But Lord Adonis produced a letter from London's transport commissioner Peter Hendy and Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Tim Godwin calling for ring-fenced government funding to be reinstated for the London Safety Camera Partnership.
They wrote that the funding had prevented at least 400 people a year being killed or seriously injured in road crashes in the capital.
Lord Adonis said: “The Tory policy on speed cameras is now a total muddle and mystery.
“Today's policy announcement by Theresa Villiers is flatly contradicted by Boris Johnson's Transport for London, which only a month ago wrote to me calling for continued ring-fenced government funding for speed cameras.
“So, Boris is saying one thing, Theresa is saying the opposite and Tory policy on road safety is an incoherent mess.”
Whitehall allocates nearly £100 million a year for road safety schemes.
Ms Villiers unveiled a radical shake-up of road safety policy including using more vehicle-activated warning signs on speed, improved road design and better education on the dangers of driving too fast.
She branded local safety camera partnerships “bureaucratic” and would replace them with more “slimline co-operation arrangements” between town halls and the police.
She would also put the brakes on the roll-out of average speed checks, limiting them to major roads and motorways and where a particular need has been identified, such as roadworks.
“Labour's army of speed cameras is not the best way to make our roads safer,” she said. “Labour's dependence on fixed speed cameras has blinded them to the effectiveness of alternatives. It is time to say enough is enough on fixed speed cameras — we have reached the high-water mark.”
Road safety and motoring groups were divided over the proposed reforms.
Claire Armstrong, of campaign group Safe Speed, said: “We believe that this might be the beginning of a more sensible and intelligent road safety returning to the roads of the UK.”
But Mary Williams, of charity Brake, took an opposing view, saying: “Speed cameras are proven to cut speeds, reduce the number of crashes and reduce casualties.”
Edmund King, of the AA, added: “We are slightly concerned. Road deaths have been falling year on year since fixed speed cameras were introduced and 70 per cent of our members support them.”
A Transport for London spokesman said: “We have applied for money to pay for the existing network, not to install further cameras.”
The Tories also announced plans aimed at cutting traffic jams, including higher fines for utility firms which over-run on roadworks and making highway authorities set clear guidelines on the siting and timing of traffic lights.
A new code of conduct on clamping would be introduced to tackle rogue firms and work would be undertaken with the police to speed up the clear-up time after accidents on motorways.
Reader views (12)
If the conservatives think they are on to a winner with this one they are more stupid than we first thought. To stop funding for speed cameras is completely irresponsible and only a complete idiot would argue against that. Whether they generate cash or not there is a simple answer if you disagree with speed cameras, SLOW DOWN!!!!! how many more stupid people do we have to breed in this country? You can not argue against speed cameras they protect the law abiding drivers and members of the public.
- Alan Brown, Wellingborough
Speeding is not a victimless crime - it could be stopped at source with ISA - Intelligent Speed Adaptation, which keeps vehicles within the posted speed limit. The benefits would be an improved environment, safer residential areas, fewer crashes, freedom from the tyranny of speeders and fewer fines. There would be no need for speed cameras, chicanes or speed bumps. The technology already exists.
- B. Davy, Ilkley, Yorkshire
Ban all speed cameras and put far more police on the beat, and visibly patrolling in cars.
Speed cameras do not catch uninsured drivers, drink drivers, or speeders who slow down at the camera and then speed up afterwards.
Speed cameras are there to extract money from the motorist.
As for the person who said speed cameras only catch law breakers needs to stand back and look at the full picture. Many roads with previous 60mph limits have been lowered to 40mph. This is to catch even more motorists. Problem is what do you do when CORRUPT people make OUR laws?
- Stephen Floyd, Evesham
Let me quote the abstract from the BMJ.
Results: 14 observational studies met the inclusion criteria; no randomised controlled trials were found. Most studies were before-after studies without controls (n = 8). All but one of the studies showed effectiveness of cameras up to three years or less after their introduction; one study showed sustained longer term effects (4.6 years after introduction). Reductions in outcomes across studies ranged from 5% to 69% for collisions, 12% to 65% for injuries, and 17% to 71% for deaths in the immediate vicinity of camera sites. The reductions over wider geographical areas were of a similar order of magnitude.
For those without a scientific leaning the phrase 'no randomised controlled trials were found' translates to 'there is no convincing scientific evidence for or against and all the quoted numbers are suspect'.
Quoting the 71% upper error bound as Dr Porter has done above is misleading - the review paper does not state that cameras result in a 71% reduction. The review paper states this is the highest figure in any of the 14 papers measured and that this figure is unreliable due to the lack of a randomised trial.
- Peter Stevens, Cambridge
Even after allowing for Regression To The Mean, speed cameras offer worthwhile results. They catch criminals (speeding is a criminal offence) they reduce accidents and they save lives, a welter of university studies have proved this.
Road deaths can be cut by up to 71 per cent around speed cameras, according to an academic paper on the impact of the devices across the world.
Researchers at the University of the West of England and the University of Bristol reviewed the findings of 14 separate studies, and found wide variations in the data available.
The review, published in the British Medical Journal, drew together research from countries including Australia, Canada and New Zealand as well as British data, and is described as the world's first systematic review on the effectiveness of speed cameras.
- Dr Susan Porter, Bow
Melvyn Windebank - I sugest you go and research regression to the mean and vehicle displacement before pontificating on matters you clearly know nothing about.
- Ian Gilbertson, Newcastle
If Lord Adonis, wants anyone to take notice of him, first he should get elected by the People.
An appointed political class are the worse despots any nation wishing to call its self a democracy has to put up with.
- Ian, Reading, England
Just goes to show how little value Tories give to the victims and their families of those killed on the roads.
But I suppose the advantage of more road deaths is that there will be savings in pensions to pay!!!
Its time we had hidden speed cameras with no notice of where they are that way drivers would have to acept that any road, any where could have a camera the first they would know is when the fine is received in the post.
I fail to see why some complain about unelected when John Major became PM in a party coup that ousted Thatcher!!
It seems that TORY HQ and Boris need to talk together more often as Lord Adonis is only stating what Boris who Chairs TFL has requested.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
Edmund King says that "70 per cent of our members support speed cameras.” I have been a member of the AA for nearly 30 years and i have never been asked a single question by them.
Its about time the AA and the RAC represented their members more accurately and protected us from some of the idiots we have in government.
- Mr S.Port, London
Of course there won't be any unelected people in any Cameron cabinet - will there?
Or is it just left wing unelected people that you despise so much?
- Ae, UK
So let me get this straight; an unelected, unaccountable socialist cabinet member is declaring that the Conservatives are in a muddle???
And on their speed camera policy as well? Oh no not the speed camera policy, we will all be doomed if we vote for the Conservatives with their "muddled policy on speed cameras"!?!!
Jesus how desperate are these corrupt socialists!
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
If anyone is in a "total muddle" it is LORD Adonis - just like the rest of the Labour parasites.
LORD Adonis? Is he another of Gormless Brown's glorified unelected despots drafted into the autocratic Labour government?
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
