| What is the Gloucestershire Safety Camera Partnership and who is involved? |
What is the Gloucestershire Safety Camera Partnership and who is involved?
The Partnership is dedicated to reducing collisions and casualties on our roads through publicity and education, and the enforcement of speed limits and red traffic light signals by using camera technology. The Partners are: 
- Gloucestershire Constabulary
- Gloucestershire County Council
- Her Majesty's Courts Service
- The Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust
- The Highways Agency. |
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| The money spent on cameras would be better spent on hospitals to reduce waiting times! |
| Each serious or fatal road accident costs the NHS an average of £100,000, money that could be spent on heart transplants, hip replacements and Special Care Baby Units. Moreover, road accidents contribute to waiting times for appointments and treatments, putting an added pressure on hospital staff. As a partner, the Gloucestershire Primary Care trust is helping the Partnership to reduce accidents on our roads and save us all time in the waiting room. |
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| Why are the police wasting their time catching motorists and not fighting 'real crime'? |
The Police Officers who work for the Partnership are funded from the road safety grant. This means that there is more money available to be invested in other elements of police work.
Reducing casualties on our roads is a key aspect of police work as many more people die each year on the roads than as a result of violent crime. |
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| Speed cameras don't work! They only slow people down for the brief moment when they are passing the camera, after that they speed up again. |
 Safety Cameras are designed to slow motorists down, not catch them out. Signage gives motorists the opportunity to check their speed ahead of a camera site and all fixed speed cameras are painted yellow to improve their visibility. Mobile enforcement vehicles are also marked with highly visible reflective strips. When you do see a camera or a warning sign it is because there is a history of accidents on that stretch of road, a pretty good reason for slowing down! Also, don't forget that if you are speeding, police officers can give you a ticket anytime and anywhere! |
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| Speed cameras are only put in lucrative locations, where the most people are likely to be caught! |
There are strict criteria used to determine where cameras are placed and these relate to accident statistics, not financial projections!
Fixed Cameras are only positioned where, over a three-year period, there have been at least four serious or fatal crashes and/or eight injury crashes.
Mobile Cameras are only positioned on stretches of road where, over a three-year period, there have been at least two serious or fatal crashes and/or four injury crashes.
Red Traffic Light Cameras are only positioned where, over a three-year period, there have been at least two serious or fatal crashes and/or four injury crashes at traffic light controlled junctions.
In addition, mobile enforcement vehicles can also dedicate up to 15% of their time to communities where speeding traffic is a particular concern, such as outside schools located on busy 'A' roads. |
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| I'm a good driver so I'm perfectly able to decide for myself what speed it is safe to travel at. |
 Interestingly 70% of people think that they are an above average driver, yet clearly they can't all be. Moreover, drivers who break the speed limit are more likely to have accidents. For example, one survey has found that drivers who have been caught speeding are twice as likely to have been in an accident than those who have never had a ticket.
Speed limits are not decided on an ad hoc basis. Ongoing and detailed analysis is scrutinised when a limit is set. This takes into account factors such as the nature and number of previous accidents, any hidden hazards and the behaviour of other road users. It is impossible for any driver to make a judgement about any road that is more sound than the speed limit set. |
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| Safety camera partnerships are just killjoys taking all the fun out of driving! |
| There is nothing fun about the pain that road accidents cause to the victims, their families and friends. It may be true that the adrenaline of driving fast gives a 'buzz' but the funfair is the place to go to get this high, not our roads. Endangering the lives of others in the name of fun is just selfish. |
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| I agree with speed cameras. I only speed in an emergency! |
While this an excuse frequently used, it is far more common to find a real emergency as a result of speeding than speeding as a result of real emergencies. Running late for an appointment or to pick up the kids does not constitute an emergency.
Remember, in Gloucestershire in 2006, 25% of all fatal road collisions happened during the morning and evening rush hours. |
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| This is just another example of 'bashing' the motorist! |
Everybody benefits from the safety that speed cameras bring to our roads, including motorists. Between April 2003 and April 2004 the county saw a 10% reduction in the number of serious and fatal collisions at camera sites. This means that fewer pedestrians, motorcyclists and drivers are being hurt on our roads.
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| Cameras don't allow for any flexibility and mean that motorists who have accidentally crept over the speed limit are being treated like criminals! |
 There is no intention to prosecute motorists who are driving just over the speed limit. The Association of Chief Police Officers has recommended guidelines for speed enforcement, which mean that, other than in exceptional circumstances, motorists will not be prosecuted unless they exceed a speed limit by 10% plus 2mph (this would be 35 mph in a thirty limit). This margin allows for speedometer inaccuracies and for motorists who may have accidentally 'crept over' the speed limit.
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| Why are motorists still being penalised at night when the roads are empty and speeding doesn't pose any great danger? |
| The Department for Transport regularly analyse data from around the country that considers why, where, when and how accidents happen. This research has found that the risk of having an accident nearly doubles at night owing to tiredness, reduced visibility and increased alcohol consumption. Respect for speed limits is just as important at night, if not, more so. |
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| If speeding is so dangerous, why not fit vehicles with speed limiters? |
| While HGVs, buses and coaches are fitted with such devices, these do not work in urban areas. Variable speed limiters are being investigated by a government agency. However, these are currently only in there trial stages and so cannot solve the speeding problem at this point in time. |
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| What are the speed limits on our roads? |
This chart shows the different speed limits for different vehicles on different classifications of road. Please refer to the current edition of the Highway Code for further details.
These are the national speed limits and apply to all roads unless signs show otherwise.
The 30mph limit applies to all traffic in England and Wales (and Class C and unclassified roads in Scotland) with street lighting unless signs show otherwise
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