Presently climbing slowly at 23,533 and one month to go. Still ranked 8th.
Safe Speed issued the following PR at 11:59 today:
PR490: Scrap speed cameras petition, 23,500 and rising
news: for immediate release
The Safe Speed campaign official 'Scrap Speed Cameras' petition on the 10
Downing Street web site has attracted over 23,500 signatures and has one month
left to run.
See:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/scrapcam
It is presently the 8th most frequently signed petition out of 7,387 open
petitions and closes on the 26th June (2007).
Paul Smith, founder of SafeSpeed.org.uk, said: "Speed cameras have been a road
safety disaster, supported only by official spin, seriously dodgy statistics
and vested interests. We will not be able to get road safety back on track
until speed cameras have been scrapped. The problem is that speed cameras come
with very serious negative side effects. We have published a report that lists
40 such side effects, [1] but Department for Transport have cancelled their
research into the side effects.
"Some of the negative side effects bear directly on driver quality, while
official research cites declining driver quality as the cause of our extremely
disappointing road safety performance in recent years [2]. Safe Speed research
clearly demonstrates the links between 'bad road safety policy', itself founded
on speed cameras, and declining driver quality."
"I urge everyone who cares about road safety to examine the facts and sign the
petition."
"We must scrap speed cameras for safety's sake. We have to stop chasing
rainbows and concentrate on the things that matter. Road user quality is our
most precious road safety asset by far - and speed camera are damaging it
badly."
"I'd like to thank everyone who has signed the petition, but 10 Downing Street
are all set to deny me the opportunity to email them." [3]
<ends>
Notes for editors
=================
[1] Safe Speed side effects report:
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/sideeffects.pdf
[2] TRL report 629 "Car occupant and motorcyclist deaths 1994 - 2002"
[3] Safe Speed PR488 (25th May 2007):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SafeSpeedPR/message/348
***
With one month to go, 'scrapcam' could use a significant boost.
What can YOU do to help?