"The answer is simple, less cameras and more cars on patrol. "
<Applause>. Traffic police numbers have declined by something like 70% since the introduction of the revenue cameras in 1994. Traffic police have the advantage of being adaptable, their location varies and they act as a major deterrant. Cameras fulfill none of these valuable functions, but unlike Trafficpol, they are a profit centre, not a cost.
QED.
We did this with Crossbow a while back when he came out with the Speed Kills nonsense and I'd reiterate what I said then:
Oh dear, the speed argument.
"Speed" does not kill - inappropriate or bad driving does. This may involve speeding as an element. The following table showing accident causes is taken from the DETRs own report into road safety.
Inattention: 25.8%
Failure to judge other person's path or speed: 22.6%
Looked but did not see: 19.7%
Behaviour: careless/thoughtless/reckless: 18.4%
Failed to look: 16.3%
Lack of judgement of own path: 13.7%
Excessive speed: 12.5%
Furthermore, a large number of the excessive speed accidents are not caused by /illegal/ speeds. Avon & Somerset Police published some stats that showed just 30% of excessive speed accidents took place in excess of the speed limit, and 2% of excessive speed accidents involved a stolen vehicle. The 68% of remaining excessive speed accidents involved speeds inappropriate for the conditions.
"For every one mph reduction in speed accidents reduce by 5%."
This is utter hogwash, coming from a pair of TRL reports that used some very creative statistical methods and relying on some very big assumptions. A causal relationship was assumed, and no allowance was made for any knock on effects. In fact, if you look at the stats, you find that the safest roads in the UK are the fastest - the motorways. This is nothing more than god old fashioned "spin".