Fixed speed safety cameras data

Data on all 151 fixed speed safety cameras in Greater Manchester has been posted on the Greater Manchester Casualty Reduction Partnership’s website today.

The figures show the number of collisions and casualties within the fixed safety camera buffers - both before and after the cameras were installed.

The number of speeding offences detected at each fixed safety camera location, active in 2010, and information on the number of motorists fined; the number of people who have completed a speed awareness course; and the number of people taken to court will also be made public.

Josie Wride, Group Leader, Greater Manchester Casualty Reduction Partnership says; ‘The primary aim for safety camera deployment is to reduce death and injuries on the roads by reducing the level and severity of speeding. Safety cameras are only ever installed to lower speeds after all possible engineering features have been exhausted at that specific location’.

Karen Stringer, Central Ticket Office Manager, GMP says: ‘Greater Manchester Police aim to do this by the prevention, detection and enforcement of road traffic offences as part of their road traffic policing role, which includes speed. This approach encourages change to driver behaviour by the use of safety camera activity and the resulting education courses where the offer of a course is applicable’.

The figures show that in 2010, a total of 45,398 people were found to be speeding at the fixed safety camera locations. 19,192 of these motorists were fined and had their licence endorsed, 22,115 completed a speed awareness course and 4091 were issued with a summons to attend court.

Josie Wride continues: ‘The speed awareness course is available at 5 venues across Greater Manchester and at varying times, this offers flexibility for our clients, and as a result we have seen more people electing to attend the course. By offering them the chance to take part in the course not only improves their speed awareness but also is an ideal opportunity to help drivers identify any bad habits they may have developed.

A study of safety camera buffers in Greater Manchester between January 2007 – December 2009 showed that Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) collisions within the buffers reduced by more than 48%, when compared to KSI’s between April 2000 to March 2003.’

The move comes as part of a national requirement from the Department for Transport for all local authorities and police forces to publish the information.

The data is available to view at www.drivesafe.org.uk