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More than 50 new camera sites planned
Speed Cameras: Coun Tim Ashton
Fifty six new camera sites are planned in the next four months.
Road safety chiefs say the move comes as they press on with plans to drive down the number of accidents on the county’s highways.
But critics today slammed the move as a “revenue raising” exersise.
There are 283 fixed speed cameras on Lancashire’s roads - one of the highest in the country. Just a fraction of them will be operational at any one time.
The new scheme of mobile cameras will focus on massive stretches of road such as the A6 from the River Ribble to Barton and the A59 from the River Ribble by Preston Docks to the Tickled Trout Hotel.
Coun Tim Ashton, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Some people might be a bit uncomfortable but that is the price we pay. Speed cameras are there to reduce accidents, not to make money.”
Lancashire Road Watch has already been spread out to Lancaster, Wyre, South Ribble, Chorley and West Lancashire. Initial surveys have been carried out in Preston, Fylde, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley and will be inaugurated by the end of June.
Preston and Lancaster are the areas with the highest number of child casualties in Lancashire.
Coun Ashton added: “In 2005 we had 1,024 casualties in Lancashire. Last year we were down to 575. The cost of a fatality on Lancashire’s roads is around £1.7m. That doesn’t matter to me, it’s the effect on the families and the communities. You can’t quantify that. I am quite pleased with the progress so far, but I am not going to rest there.”
But Brian Macdowall, spokesman for campaign group the Association of British Drivers (ABD), said: “I believe Lancashire is the top, or second highest, in the country for the number of speed cameras. This strikes us as revenue raising and has very little to do with road safety.
“If you were to look at statistics for contributory factors, speed is about eighth in the list of the top 10 . To increase sites by this amount will do nothing to help road safety.
“Whilst many people have opinions about driving and speed, most are uninformed and don’t understand the technical issues in setting speed cameras correctly.
“To take note of a few people, without a survey of the whole community, that will do nothing to solve road safety.”
Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “With 283 fixed camera sites, Lancashire is already at the forefront of camera enforcement even without new devices being rolled out. The Foundation – and indeed most of the public – back speed cameras, but you run the risk of putting all your eggs in one basket.
“You need always bear in mind what is the problem you are trying to solve and is a better or cheaper way of doing it?”
Also included in plans to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the county’s roads in the roll-out of 20mph schemes near schools and in residential areas. This programme is expected to come £3m under budget.
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Weather for Preston
Saturday 18 May 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
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Wind direction: North west
