Do local traffic cameras save lives? |
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Traffic camera data for this part of London shows mixed picture
In an effort to convince motorists that traffic cameras are there to save lives and not raise revenues the Government has published detailed figures on their impact. These show on a camera by camera basis how effective speed and traffic light cameras have been in reducing serious accidents. In the table below we have provided data for cameras for the main arteries out of and around Ealing. So firstly, were the cameras in our immediate area put there just to raise revenue, as is often claimed (particularly by those who have just had a speeding ticket)? There is a handful of suspicious-looking ones, e.g. by the M4 near Boston Gardens (start of Elevated Section) and the M4 east of Osterley Lane Overbridge. However in general, most sites appear justified and it is an eye-opener to see just how many deaths and injuries have taken place at certain hotspots. Secondly, do the cameras save lives? In most cases the number of accidents appears to have reduced, in some cases significantly. The notorious blackspot junction of the A4 Talgarth Road/North End Road has shown a decrease of 5.7 people killed or seriously injured each year in the three years before the camera was installed to only 1 in the year 2002/3. However the picture is not all rosy. The junction of the A40 and Old Oak Common saw 6 serious accidents in one year after installation compared to an average of 2.3 prior to installation. Speed cameras may not be the answer in some locations (possibly at certain types of traffic lights), while they are a godsend in others. It would be interesting to know how this information feeds back into road planning - are sites reviewed and changes to cameras made accordingly? On what basis are those decisions made? Any transport planners out there like to comment? Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said, 'These figures prove that cameras save lives.' The
Association of British Drivers accused the government of cherry-picking
data in a bid to show that cameras were working.
July 29, 2004 |
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