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Authorities Claim Speed Cameras Continue to Aid Road Safety
Article by: rob brady
Date: 3 Jan 2012
Recent figures have shown that the number of road accidents and casualties in the UK has been lowered.
The trend has been noticed in a number of areas, with Scotland and Northern Ireland being just two examples.
Scottish data showed that the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads with speed cameras had fallen by 63% (almost two thirds) between the years of 2008 and 2010.
The speed cameras are placed in "priority" places as part of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme, a programme which the Scottish Government currently assigns £4.6 million a year to.
MSP Stewart Maxwell commented on the success of the scheme and its costs, explaining that "if cameras prevent three fatal accidents this will outweigh the total cost of running the whole programme across Scotland - but we cannot put a price on safety on our roads."
Elsewhere in the UK, Northern Ireland found 2011 to be the one of the safest years for their roads, experiencing the second lowest number of deaths ever recorded.
Road deaths in the area peaked at the end of the 1960's and the beginning of the 1970's, but have been seen to be steadily decreasing ever since. Figures for 2011 found that just 59 people died, considerably lower than 2008, when 107 deaths occurred.
The Head of Road Safety for the AA, Andrew Howard, told the News Letter that "speed cameras have played a significant role in [the reductions]" acting as a clear deterrent to motorists and thus reducing the chance of accidents on our roads.
The reduction in deaths has occurred despite roads becoming busier, making this a huge achievement for road safety levels. This cannot be solely attributed to speed cameras though as many other factors, such as safer cars and road layouts also play a part.
| Comments
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 Posted by M8TJT on Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:12 pm |
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| News Team Wrote: | a programme which the Scottish Government currently assigns £4.6 million a year.
MSP Stewart Maxwell commented on the success of the scheme and its costs, explaining that "if cameras prevent three fatal accidents this will outweigh the total cost of running the whole programme across Scotland |
Is it possible that each death on the road costs the Scottish government just over £1.5M as the above implies?
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| Posted by RobBrady on Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:43 am |
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Yes, I believe that's the figure for each death.
Robert Brady |
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