Van cameras ‘better’ at targeting speeding
Mobile cameras in vans are better suited to target areas where residents are concerned about speeding, police chiefs have insisted, as it was revealed all fixed cameras will be turned off at the end of the month.
The fleet of cameras in the back of enforcement vans will be doubled from two to four after the last 73 of the region’s 305 speed and traffic light cameras are switched off.
Bosses will look into whether they could be converted to digital and turned back on in the future. They say the move will save money as processing outdated wet film is too costly.
Councillors on the West Midlands Planning and Transportation Sub-Committee had been expected to agree a strategy for the future of speed cameras yesterday but the decision has been put back until May.
Several other areas across the country have already switched off their cameras including Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire and Swindon and Northamptonshire.
West Midlands Police assistant chief constable Garry Forsyth said: “The cameras in use require a major upgrade in order to remain effective and this would cost both police and local authorities a considerable amount of money at a time of a reduction across public sector budgets.
“However, we are committed to road safety and this is why we are due to increase the number of mobile speed cameras from two to four from April 2013.
“Mobile cameras are deployed from the back of an enforcement van, allowing them to be moved around the West Midlands as needed and are clearly marked to indicate that they are conducting speed enforcement.
“They are more flexible than fixed cameras, allowing us to conduct speed enforcement on roads where a fixed housing could not be installed and can be deployed to roads where the collision history would not warrant a fixed camera, but where there is concern from the community, local authority or local police.”
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents today said it hopes the upgrade is carried out soon. Kevin Clinton, head of road safety said: “Speed cameras are a very effective way of saving lives and reducing injuries on the road, they help save an estimated 100 lives a year in the UK. RoSPA is pleased that the plan is to replace ageing wet film cameras with more modern digital ones. We believe that cameras should continue to be used where casualty statistics show they are needed.”
There are no plans to turn off the 263 speed cameras in Staffordshire.
Comments for: "Van cameras ‘better’ at targeting speeding "
We Only Need One Half!
And as if by magic......! from the original "camera's off" thread, Michael Schumacher, road racer, and all the others celebrating the cameras being switched off, you may as well turn your licences in now, you thought fixed cameras were tough, you aint seen nothing yet!
Mick Smith
I would rather see more red light cameras.
snoddy
I would rather they get uninsured drivers off the road
BOF
Totally Agree - red light jumping is going to kill more people than speeding.
How many vans are replacing 305 speeding and lights cameras?
There are some jokers on here believing the vans are the solution. How can they cover the number of existing cameras effectively? Answer: They can not.
Get more police out of cars and onto the ground!
UTW
Branston
It's about time , these yellow eyesore boxes need to be scrapped horrible things.
Bluebottle
Watch your rear mirror. They are getting even more sneaky than ugly cameras
The suss laws are going topale into insignificance with alleged sppeding. Two against one says you are obviously guilty.
Seems the police have more problems at speed with all their accidents.
Who polices the police? No one of course. IPCC does not.
The only way is Up Wanderers
REALIST
These vans cause accidents.I have seen seperate 2 incidents,where vehicles have suddenly braked,only to hit the central reservation on a dual carriageway.
THESE CAMERA VANS DO NOT WORK,THEY ARE A CASH COW.
Colin Dodd.
During my years an LGV driver, I saw no end of vehicles suddenly brake on dual carriageways, none of them hit the central reservation though. Sounds like a bit of FANTASY, from REALIST.
We Only Need One Half!
Realist, why did they suddenly brake just because they saw one of these vans?
May I suggest it was because they were either excessively speeding in inappropriate road conditions, or were unaware of their current speed? probably the former, other wise why couldn't they keep control of the vehicle? either way, excessively speeding or incapable of controlling a vehicle, they shouldn't be on the road anyway.
I do agree the fines don't work, if your on 50k p.a. £60 is hardly going to break the bank. If you truly want to make them about safety, and fairness, regardless of income, scrap the fine, and make it 6pts per time instead of 3pts, caught twice in three years automatic 6 months ban, then see how careful speeders can drive when they know one more strike and they are out.
You wouldn't give a drunk driver 4 "lives" over a three year period before you banned him, so why give it someone else who is incapable of controlling a vehicle?
Mark B
Need something and mobile cameras are better suited if they are used correctly and not hidden away. should still be warned of the camera area (although the speed limit should be the warning).
Harder sentences for speeding especially around built up areas may have more of an affect.
NEEDCASH.GOV.ORG
its true,the cameras are going off???,opps must dash,me freash pork has just flew past the window...
D Aylott
Vans are not used at accident blackspots or dangerous roads, they are only used to collect revenue. We have one sited by us at regular intervals, on a road that has not seen an accident in years!
We Only Need One Half!
Had it not occurred to you the fact that you have one sited by you at regular intervals is the reason the road in question has not seen a accident in years?
Just a thought?
Chappo
Errrrrrr.....maybe because people know there may be a speed van about?
Phil
These vans are even worse than the cameras. They are usually hidden round corners 200m after a drastic speed limit change with the sole aim of catching people innocently slowing down.
easy money scamera van
Another scam to rob people blind for going 3 mph too fast.Why don't you Police do proper things,such as catching criminals.You make me sick.
moikel
Dear REALIST...These vans cause accidents.I have seen seperate 2 incidents,where vehicles have suddenly braked,only to hit the central reservation on a dual carriageway.....mmmmm, now let me think !!!!! they wouldn`t have been speeding would they ?????, or is REALITY too hard for you to understand ????????? until road users who break the law, of our country, get the message about speeding get the message.....then i say we need MORE CAMERAS .....any one who has ever had to tell someone that their loved one has been killed by a speeding driver will, i am sure agree.......the rest of you.....well, i hope you never have that knock at your door !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rob
These cameras are not any better at catching speeders, how many vans have you seen at night? at 02:30 when some fool come past your house and shakes the windows... Or some little hot wheels prat racing on the black country route on Saturday night about 22:40..?
The cameras are needed cos these divvys cant lift there foot from the loud pedal... I don't like the vans myself, cos they put a sign one way on the road telling you , and no sign on the other side of the road.....
However if you drive a LOT over the limit, hand in your licence you are obviously some kind of half baked, that shouldn't be allowed to drive or operate heavy machinery......
Lee Williams
Why do people still see speed as major factor? I don't condone speeding, but nor do I condone politicians doing nothing about rat runs, dangerous parking (i.e. round schools) and rubbish road surfacing and then going off trying to claim all the glory by reducing speed limits and putting in speed humps. Talk about papering over the cracks. And thats before I go on about shockingly poor public transport backed up by non-existant public facilties, and important services being placed further away (less miles = fewer accidents). And we pay £6.50 plus a gallon for this tripe. Will we ever see a politician put their name to increasing a speed limit ever again? No good saying things are tight, this has gone on in boom and bust. They are useless! As for where the speed cameras go, I have been done for speeding twice in 22 years, and have 22 years no claims. Without wishing to tempt fate, I do not know what that says! My first ticket was when Birmingham was gridlocked and a mobile speed patrol was sat on an unblocked rat run, and the second was a few years ago when I was on an 30 zone (knocked down from 40) country lane on the road to the beach, with no junctions, absent speed signs, no lamp posts, no parked cars, sunny dry day, etc. I am not sure if those types of tactics carry the public's good will.....
Mark
So much for the 'road safety' line trotted out with the introduction of fixed cameras. This adds further fuel to the fire that cameras are to generate revenue.
simonDarby
I'd rather the police gave motorists a break and concentrated more on real criminals, rapists, murderers, burglars, violent imbeciles etc. These speed trap vans need smashing to pieces and piling on the scrap heap, they are not used in accident hotspots but in areas where they are likely to raise as much revenue as possible, police routinely get off with speeding even when it's not for responding to an emergency, anyone remember that copper on the M54 doing well over 130mph, one rule for them and another for everyone else.
If someone's driving like a complete idiot then fair enough the police need to intervene for the publics safety but a few mile over the speed limit should be ignored, common sense needs to be used instead of the police just seeing pound signs, e.g. driving on a dry, empty motorway at night etc. Cars are much safer today than when the speed limit was introduced, better braking, better tyres, better road surfacing, better lighting on our roads, the list is endless.