PR228: TRL says speed cameras useless at motorway roadworks
News: for immediate release
Safe Speed issued a Freedom of Information request to the DfT on July 5th regarding motorway roadworks safety. The results have just been published. One document makes it crystal clear that speed cameras have no influence on the rate of injury.
In a study carried out for the Highways Agency by TRL Limited and published in 2004 it is revealed that roads works are no more dangerous than open motorways and that speed cameras have no effect on accident rates.
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
(www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "When this sort of information is available, why are camera partnerships allowed to continue to fleece motorists with no safety benefit?"
"It is outrageous that partnerships continue to operate speed cameras in motorway roadworks claiming that they are required to 'protect the workforce', when science clearly tells us that motorway road works are not specially dangerous and speed cameras don't help at all."
"The greedy camera partnerships frequently lie to us about the 'benefits' of speed cameras. False information in road safety costs lives because it causes life saving resources are misallocated. The partnerships must be disbanded because they are working against the long term interests of road safety. They are 21st century snake oil salesmen."
"Why on earth does it take the Freedom of Information act to uncover important information like this?"
TRL Report says: "The study showed that there was no significant difference in the rate of PIAs (Personal Injury Accidents) when road works were present on the motorway."
TRL Report says: "No significant difference was observed in the PIA rate for
sites with and without speed cameras."
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Notes for editors:
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DfT Page regarding Safe Speed's Freedom of Information Request:
https://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_foi/documents/divisionhomepage/039530.\
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TRL Report summary containing quotes above:
https://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_foi/documents/page/dft_foi_039535.pdf
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