Hundreds of speed cameras off for good
Exclusive By RYAN PARRY - Fri 15th June 2012 (Published: 04th June 2012)
Snaps scrapped ... 1,522 of the country's 3,189 camera sites were out of action last year
NEARLY half of Britain’s speed cameras have been switched off — hundreds of them for good.
comment on this story
Some areas have stopped using their flashing Gatsos altogether.
The Sun found that 1,522 of the country’s 3,189 camera sites were out of action last year. That is 48 per cent — up from 37 per cent in 2010 and 32 per cent in 2009.
It follows a £38million funding cut by the Government since their 2010 vow to “end the war on the motorist”.
Many areas have left non-working cameras in place as a deterrent but may never reactivate them. Avon and Somerset switched off all 69 of its cameras in April 2011 — and the number of accidents where speed was a factor has since FALLEN 31 per cent.
In London, 565 out of 754 — 75 per cent — of cameras have been turned off. But Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Essex, Greater Manchester and other areas used all their camera sites last year.
Claire Armstrong, of campaigners Safe Speed, branded cameras “a failed policy” and called for all to be scrapped.
Gat-So Long and Farewell
Forces with mot cameras switched off
Metropolitan Police
West Midlands 565 out of 764
Lanchashire 250 out of 326
Derbyshire 143 out of 287
Avon & Somerset 69 out of 69
r.parry@the-sun.co.ukThey really must remove the whole camera and not leave them 'long-termed bagged'. Motorists must know that they are no longer operational and removed from sight.