Skip to main content

UK study casts doubt on speed camera effectiveness

A study by the RAC Foundation in the UK has raised doubts about the usefulness of speed cameras. The research has prompted the RAC Foundation to write to seven local authorities about 21 camera sites where there has been a noticeable increase in the number of accidents since the installation of speed cameras. The study based on speed camera data going back to 1990 identified nine risky camera sites in Merseyside, north-west England and three in Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent, both in central England.
June 11, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A study by the 5521 RAC Foundation in the UK has raised doubts about the usefulness of speed cameras.

The research has prompted the RAC Foundation to write to seven local authorities about 21 camera sites where there has been a noticeable increase in the number of accidents since the installation of speed cameras. The study based on speed camera data going back to 1990 identified nine risky camera sites in Merseyside, north-west England and three in Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent, both in central England.

The RAC Foundation fears the number of speed cameras that could be contributing to more accidents could be higher because data has been released by just 12 of the 36 so-called safety-camera partnerships since 2011. Overall, the study found the installation of cameras contributed to a 27% decline in the average number of serious and fatal collisions in the vicinity, and a 15% fall in personal injury collisions in the vicinity.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • UK sees road safety gain in 2020
    January 29, 2021
    The UK has seen a road safety gain in 2020.
  • Road causalities dropped in Europe in 2012
    March 26, 2013
    The latest data from the European Commission reveals that road fatalities across the EU decreased by 9% in 2012. This shows that 2012 saw the lowest numbers of people being killed in road traffic crashes in EU countries since data first began being collated. Vice-president Siim Kallas, Commissioner for Transport, said, "2012 was a landmark year for European road safety, with the lowest ever number of road deaths recorded. A 9% decrease means that 3,000 lives were saved last year. It is hugely encouraging to
  • Defective eyesight, a road safety concern?
    February 16, 2012
    Failing eyesight presents safety problems for Europe's older drivers. A new report highlights substantial variation in the assessment of drivers' vision across Europe, and recommends that Member States make moves to better assess drivers' vision. Checking the vision of drivers plays a valuable role in the EU's target of halving road deaths across the EU by 2020. The aim is to achieve this road safety improvement by legislative means that change driver behaviour, raise the technical standards of vehicles and
  • Skidmarks: Scaring speeders
    February 6, 2020
    Our Skidmarks page is highly rated by readers. Your input could help make this page even more entertaining. If you come across any amusing road-related stories or pictures email me at [email protected]