Safe Speed Forums

Half the new speed cameras on the Island have led to an increase, not a reduction, in injury accidents, and should be removed or reviewed.

That is the verdict of Island MP Andrew Turner following publication of government statistics about the number of injuries before and after the introduction of cameras on six sites across the Island.

The figures showed that, for comparable periods before and after the introduction of cameras, there were fewer injury accidents at Wootton Bridge High Street, Victoria Avenue Shanklin and St John’s Hill Ryde, but more at Newport Road Lake, and Sandown Road Shanklin, and significantly more at Horsebridge Hill Newport.

‘I am very dissatisfied that I had to table questions to Ministers to obtain this information, which should be available to any local resident, rather than being sent it openly by the speed camera partnership (which operates from the mainland). It calls into question the entire accountability of the partnership, which should be answerable to local people through the IW Council. Better still, the Council or local police should make decisions about the location of speed cameras instead of them being made off the Island.’

I assume that the "partnership's slimy spin doctor" is Julian Hewitt.

I have never met him but from his letters to the local paper then my opinion would be the same as yours.