Official: Speed cams ARE a Scam

Source: The Sun

FIXED speed cameras make no difference to road accident rates and are simply money-making machines, it was claimed last night.

The first council in the country to ban Gatsos revealed it has seen little change since making the move in the summer.

Chiefs in Swindon, Wilts, reckon the results have proved that the cameras didn’t save lives – but were only there to make money.

Swindon Borough Council leader Rod Bluh said: “Figures vindicate the fact that cameras make no difference to fatal accidents or any accidents.

“We are confident we took the right action in getting rid of them.”

Some safety campaigners feared a surge in fatal accidents after Swindon mothballed its Gatsos on July 31.

But while there was one fatal accident between August and October 2008 there were NONEe in the same three months this year.

And non-fatal accidents have only risen from four in 2008 to six this year, according to Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership.

In the first three months of the ban just 1,033 drivers were caught by mobile cameras – compared to 2,227 snared by fixed ones in the same period last year.

The ban meant total speeding fines paid by drivers dropped by £71,000 in just 12 weeks.

Tory councillor Mr Bluh, added: “It clearly shows there is a revenue raising element having these cameras.”

Matthew Sinclair of the Taxpayers’ Alliance said: “It’s great to see that a more flexible, fairer approach to speeding fines sees a massive cut to the burden on motorists already over-whelmed by road tax and fuel duty.

“Unfortunately, too many motorists are being caught with unfair fines in the rest of the country by cameras that do little to reduce casualties.”

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “Local road safety partnerships are best placed to decide where and when to use safety cameras.

“However independent research has shown there are 1,745 fewer deaths and serious injuries at camera sites each year.

“We’re clear that the best safety camera is the one which takes no fines at all, but succeeds in deterring drivers from speeding.”

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