PARTNERSHIP CHALLENGES SAFETY CAMERA MYTH

The latest awareness campaign from Mid & South Wales Safety Camera Partnership challenges the myth that safety cameras are only placed where they can make the most money.

Contrary to public belief, fixed and mobile safety cameras can only be used where people have been killed or injured, at sites of community concern or to protect roadworkers. The campaign encourages people to think about how many more reasons they need to accept that safety cameras are being used to protect people who live, work and drive locally.

A silhouette of a young woman with a pushchair, accompanied by the slogan ‘Here’s a good reason. How many more do you need?’, and an explanation of where cameras can be used, is appearing on bus backs and posters throughout Mid and South Wales. The silhouette symbolises road collision victims, vulnerable pedestrians and the family of a roadworker.

Partnership manager, Phil Davies, said: “We can’t just place cameras anywhere. The sad fact is that when a fixed camera is erected, it means that people have been killed or seriously injured on that stretch of road. Many people still believe that safety cameras are used to make money and not to improve road safety. Our only aim is to reduce casualties on the road and all the funding we receive goes into operating the safety camera scheme and running local road safety initiatives. We hope by raising awareness of how we are using cameras to improve road safety, we can encourage motorists to work with us by driving at a safe and legal speed.”

The new campaign is appearing on bus backs across and in washrooms of service stations and roadside cafes across Mid and South Wales.

The number of people killed or seriously injured at camera sites is falling. Figures up to the end of December 2004 show that at fixed camera sites the number of collisions in which someone was killed or seriously injured has reduced by 66 per cent and at mobile camera sites the number has dropped by 61 per cent when compared with the period before cameras were installed.

For further information on Mid & South Wales Safety Camera Partnership, please visit www.checkyourspeed.org.uk