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Police's cameras are part of the action



« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »View GalleryPublished Date: 31 December 2008
HAMPSHIRE police say all their fixed speed cameras are in working order after a national survey revealed many police forces across the country were leaving cameras out of action.
The survey asked all 44 of Britain's police forces about unused speed cameras in their areas.

Although 19 did not respond to the survey, police forces including West Midlands Police, Avon and Somerset Police and the Metropolitan Police admitted thADVERTISEMENTat many of its speed cameras were not switched on.

A spokesman for Hampshire Police said: 'All fixed cameras in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are operational.

'In the last year, four of the 30 fixed sites were not used as a result of various technical problems. Those problems have been corrected or are in the process of being corrected.

'The constabulary had no fixed cameras prior to 2003, and so all sites are operational, are located at collision clusters and are working effectively to reduce accident levels.'

Clare Armstrong, co-founder of Safe Speed, said: 'Cameras create paranoia and distract motorists. They're so busy looking at the camera, then the speedo, then the camera again that they don't concentrate on the road.

'If speed cameras are not going to be used then they should be torn out of the ground or have a "not in use" sign put on them.

'They create the wrong attitudes. People go past them and speed up to 37mph in a 30 zone. Inactive cameras only encourage bad driving.'

'The constabulary had no fixed cameras prior to 2003