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I'm in Birmingham. I've been recording a studio debate on speed cameras for air at 7:30pm Tuesday in a programme called Central News Extra.

This will include some material I recorded last week. They flew me down this afternoon for the studio bit.

I do hope it comes across OK. I was up against some chap who thinks a speed camera would have saved his daughter. Difficult.

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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

Just seen the piece on Central, about 8 minutes or so in total.

Mr Pay comes across at an angry man shooting at the wrong target.

Is there any way those of us who missed it can catch up?

Best wishes all,
Dave.

It occured to me (too late) to record the piece, capture it to a video and send it to anyone who wanted IT Best I can do is a synopsis...

Opened with the usual blah on Speed Cameras - numbers caught, percentage of accidents supposedly caused by exces speed.
Mr Pay (interviewed at home) gave his verdict on cameras, that they save lives because they slow drivers down or at least make them think about their speed. Explains how he believes his daughter would still be alive if a speed camera had been on the road where she was killed by a 'speeding driver'.
Paul pulls up in a car and explains how driving is much more complex than many people think. Its about more than speed, its ability, concentration, anticipation etc.
Another piece by the presenter pointing out how West Mids authorities have removed certain cameras as deaths went up in their vicinity
Then comes a few 'pop vox' voices from the street - a handful of individuals who, in evenly balanced numbers, believe they are good/bad.
To the studio where Paul and Mr Pay have a short and tense discussion on cameras.
Paul tries to point how little effect cameras have had (deaths up), Mr Pay counters by quoting Lincs where deaths fell from 140 to 20.
Paul points out that this isn't refelcted nationally and that there are many people dead today who migh have been alive were it not for cameras. He lays out his credentials by noting that he has actually given up work and put about 5000 hrs of effort into researching the issue.
Mr Pay counters with a rather unimpressed 'good for you' but you're completely wrong.
Mr Pay is clearly hurting at his loss but somehow believes a speed camera would meant his daughter would be alive today. Nobody is going to convince him otherwise and in this sense he was perhaps an 'unfair' spokesman for the pro-camera argument attracting as he will the sympathy vote.
There was another woman in the studio too, can't recall her input, don't think it was much.

Good and accurate precis Rigpig - was that bloke an angry man or a pratnership plant - can't make up my mind.
Only thing missing was the figures from Durham - no cameras yet figures lower than anywhere else, and of course the figures from brunstormia - but Paul fought his corner well -and the bit about the mum to be showed them in their true colours as cash hungry .
On the whole i thought the balance fell Paul's way - even Mrs B commented on the idea thrown up by the intro that the main purpose was cash as true and i 'd thought she had no opinion on it.

Overall - i'd say paul is starting to worry some areas.

Do we have any background on the case of Mr Pay's daughter?

There is one case in the West Midlands where someone's much-loved daughter was killed and which is often used by the likes of SSI and Roadpeace which turns out to have involved an unlicensed and drunk driver.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed