Jul 2010 09

New Research: Speeding Fines3

£87.3m raised in speeding fines in one year

Contains breakdowns for local areas

A new report from the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) and the Drivers' Alliance (DA) collates for the first time the full figure for fines raised through speed cameras in 2008-09. The report features full data for local Safety Camera Partnerships and Magistrates' Courts for all areas of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. With the boom in speed cameras and speeding fines in recent years the issue has become highly controversial, particularly among motorists.

"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB;
mso-bidi-language:AR-SA”>The report concludes that British policy should follow
the good example of Swindon, which scrapped its speed cameras in 2008 with
apparently no increase in road casualties as a result.Click here to read the full report

  • 10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"”>A
    total of £87,368,227
    was collected in speeding and red light offences caught on speed cameras
    in the financial period 2008-09 in the UK. This also includes fines from
    magistrates’ courts for speeding offences and neglect of traffic
    directions in 2008.
  • 10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"”>The
    total includes £65,748,850
    from fixed penalties detected by cameras operated by safety camera
    partnerships in England and Wales.
  • 10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"”>It
    also includes £19,214,594
    in fines from magistrates’ courts for speeding offences and neglect of
    traffic directions in calendar year 2008 in England and Wales.
  • 10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"”>It
    also includes £1,641,630
    collected for speeding offences by the Scottish Courts in 2008-09.
  • 10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"”>It
    also includes £763,153
    from fixed penalties detected by speed cameras in Northern Ireland.
  • The road casualty rate has declined at a slower rate
    since speed cameras were introduced in the early 1990s, compared to the rate
    prior to their introduction. It can be estimated that 1,555,244 more road
    casualties occurred between 1991-2007 than would have if the 1978-1990 trend
    had continued. This is illustrated in the following graph:


"Motorists have long
suspected that speed cameras are more about raising money than keeping the
roads safe. These findings show that the state has been squeezing a fortune out
of people using these cameras, but if anything the rate

"Speed
cameras have been a false hope in improving safety on British roads. Close
statistical analysis of road casualties shows that, since speed cameras have
been the main driver of road safety policy, the road casualty rate has not gone
down at the trajectory expected. It is time to rethink road safety policy so
that it has broadened focus, not solely based on speed. No more speed cameras
should be funded by local authorities and existing speed cameras should be
removed." 

Click here to read the full report

"Times New Roman"”>
 "Times New Roman"”>, Campaign Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, on 07736 009
548 or at [email protected]

 To discuss the research and
methodology, please contact:

"Times New Roman"”>, Transport and Environment Policy Analyst for the
TaxPayers' Alliance and the Drivers' Alliance, on 07793 674 711, at [email protected]
or at [email protected]

 

"Times New Roman"”>

http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/speedcameras.pdf

"Times New Roman"”>

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