Speed cameras are rich pickings

12:14pm Friday 25th July 2008

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RADLETT residents have provided rich pickings for dozens of local speed cameras, but levels of crashes and casualties have continued to cast doubt over the effect of the equipment.

A survey of 1.5 million motorists by insurance firm Admiral found people in Radlett had the most speeding convictions in Britain, the number of fines being more than double the UK average.

Hertfordshire County Council’s Safety Camera Partnership reported that more than £2.5 million in fines was collected in the county last year. These fines are not kept by the local council but are forwarded to the Government’s Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Although there are only four in Radlett itself, the surrounding area has the highest proportion of speed cameras in Hertfordshire.

With a total of 40 devices, Watford is undoubtedly the county’s camera capital, but more than 1,000 road casualties in the town in the past three years provide plenty of evidence supporting their installation.

Although initially surprised at Radlett’s rank in the speed fine table, Aldenham Councillor Simon Patnick urged people to cut down their speed.

He said: “I think there is a definite need for people to slow down. There is quite a high population of youngsters here and we need to be wary that speed does kill.”

The latest report into speed cameras in Hertfordshire showed a 69 per cent reduction in the number of people killed after a camera had been installed and a 37 per cent reduction in casualties.

Despite the success demonstrated in the statistics, some remain sceptical about safety cameras.

Quoting another survery by Car Parts Direct, a representative of the Association of British Drivers said: “Thousands of motorists are losing their jobs, freedom and ability to earn a living.

“Some 82 per cent of speed camera victims thought they were driving safely at the time of their conviction and were just unfortunate to be doing a few miles over the limit.

“Another 65 per cent thought their speeding ticket was totally unjustified and felt cheated.”

Hatred of speed cameras has even been taken to a criminal extreme by British vigilante group Motorists Against Detection (MAD).

Last week the group admitted to setting fire to a camera in Sussex and it has planned a nationwide “summer of madness” against the cameras.