Safe Speed Forums

2005 is the year in which we have to make a big difference.

I know we've been chipping away, but the partnerships are very well resourced and they make plenty of noise.

Here's what we have to do:

Funding

Safe Speed has to become better funded. Memberships and donations are very helpful and welcome, but it isn't enough. Perhaps some of you can help out, either financially or by providing assistance with fund raising. You can join or donate via this link: http://www.safespeed.org.uk/join.html

Fund raising hasn't been much of a priority, but that is going to have to change. It's a big shame because it'll take me away from more important stuff.

I resolve to make one new funding contact every working day.

Freedom of information

With careful use of the Freedom of Information laws we are going to be able to make much headway into undermining the false and misleading data that's being used to support cameras. I have a list of well over 100 freedom of information requests that I'd like to make. I have looked at how best to manage this and for a while I thought I'd be sending out 100+ letters on January 1st. If I did that I'd get swamped with replies and queries. A better method is slow and steady. Therefore:

I resolve to make one formal freedom of information request every single day.

I'm not going to publish the list of requests anywhere because in some cases information might be "lost" in advance of the request landing.

Press information

The press frequently receive and reprint fradulent information provided by the camera partnerships. I'm going to write PDF factsheets about all the major frauds that can readlily be emailed to any journalist who has been duped. They won't be so likely to be duped a second time. Providing this information just after the event is hard hitting because no one likes to be duped, and the cases presented will be cast iron.

I resolve to prepare suitable fact sheets ASAP.

Visiting opinion formers

Safe Speed now has one hell of a story to tell. It's a complete case for returning to previous road safety policies. But many important folk have not read the web site, and won't read email communications in enough detail to understand the full facts. I need to go and explain some of this stuff face to face to key opinion formers (politicians, journalists and researchers, and also organisations like the IAM and RoSPA).

I resolve to make as many of these visits as necessary and practical, given the costs of travel and time out of the office.

2005? Bring it on! Happy New Year everyone!

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Feel free to PM me details of 5 or 6 FoIA requests and if possible a sample letter than I can modify.

I'm in the process of requesting before and after accident data for a number of roads that have had limits slashed.

I shall also be requesting the accident data of all Scamera site nominations in my area to check compliance with guidelines.

Also have you thought of making safe speed a registered charity. There are many tax benefits + corporates are not normally interested in sponsorship, if you are not registered.

more here.

http://www.igbocsn.com/charitable_status.htm

I

Ditto - I'll happily take a few off your hands if need be.

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Carl Prescott

I'm sort of hoping to prepare a standard "camera partnership" request for information this weekend.

When I get it ready I'll make it available for folk to copy to their local partnership. That would be a great help.

Thanks guys.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety