Safe Speed Forums

Comment: I thought the 14% rule had been in place for ages? Kent & Medway list such cameras on their site as being outside the standard rules.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004171629,00.html

EXCLUSIVE- 1000 more Gatsos on way

By DAVID WOODING
Whitehall Editor

COPS have been told to plant speed cameras on SAFE roads — months after being ordered to stop sneaky tactics.

Secret new guidelines obtained by The Sun say police can place up to 1,000 Gatsos OUTSIDE accident blackspots.

The move revives fears that cameras are being used to raise money for Chancellor Gordon Brown. Ministers claim the traps are highly visible and are only placed on “death-trap” roads.

But the tough restrictions are relaxed in the new guidelines from the Department of Transport and police can now put 15 per cent of cameras at sites with a low record of deaths or injury crashes.

AA road safety boss Andrew Howard said last night: “This is very worrying. It is a large loophole for camera partnerships to exploit.”

Tories slammed the Government for “sneaking” out the changes.

Shadow transport boss Damian Green claimed that motorists were
being punished for driving more safely.

He said: “It is worrying that the change in the rules is buried deep down in a document that has had no publicity. This gives police a get-out to raise revenue because motorists have become safer.

"Partnerships now have an incentive to put cameras where they will rake in the most.”

The new guidance says cameras can be placed at less dangerous roads after death and injury blackspots have been exhausted.

A good reason must be given to place a camera at a non-blackspot — such as complaints about speeding cars. Yesterday it emerged 10,767 drivers have been caught by cameras on a seven-mile stretch of motorway.

The traps were set ten weeks ago when a 40mph limit was introduced alongside roadworks on the M25.

At the current rate cameras will have raked in £6.5million in fines by the time the work is finished in 2006. Because the rebuilding of the motorway is a national project, all the £60 speed fines go straight into Mr Brown’s coffers.

Although work stopped for Easter, the cameras and the 40mph limit remained in force.

The AA’s Rebecca Rees said: “There should be variable limits so 40mph does not apply 24 hours a day.”