Speed cameras switched back on

1 April 2011, 06:00

Speed cameras turned off in part of the Thames Valley are now being switched back on

Heart's found out speeding drivers are paying the 2 and a half million pounds a year needed for speed cameras to be switched BACK ON in part of the Thames Valley from 1st April 2011.

72 fixed sites and 89 mobile sites cameras in Oxfordshire have been off since the county council lost their funding in August because of Government cuts to Oxfordshire County Council's road safety grant.

Thames Valley Police have now decided to turn the on cameras back on.

Supt Povey said: “We think this is important because we know that speed kills and speed is dangerous.

“We have shown in Oxfordshire that speed has increased through monitoring limits and we have noticed an increase in fatalities the number of people seriously injured in 2010.

“We know that speed enforcement does work as a deterrent to motorists.”

The decision to switch the cameras back on has been supported by Thames Valley Police Authority committee chair for Oxfordshire Ian Abbott and Oxfordshire County Councillor Cabinet Member for Transport, Rodney Rose.

Cllr Rose said: "We very much welcome this positive approach to financing the operation of speed cameras and will continue to work with our partners at Thames Valley Police in improving road safety in Oxfordshire.

"The county council did not delight in withdrawing funding for speed cameras last year, but took this decision to protect other service areas following a huge reduction in road safety grant from the Government. Other councils across the country took the same view.

"This local solution will ensure funding is properly aligned to support the service delivery and not subject to an external grant funding process. The new process will have a higher level of active engagement with drivers who speed and will be more successful in changing driver behaviour rather than simply trying to penalise offenders in the wallet."

Mr Abbott said: “I welcome today's announcement that safety cameras will be reactivated on roads in Oxfordshire.

"Road safety is of fundamental importance to people in our area, as many letters to local papers have highlighted.I believe safety cameras are a worthwhile intervention to reduce the number of road traffic injuries and deaths.

"The reactivation of the cameras will give consistency to road safety measures across theThamesValley."

The Facts and Figures:

Between August 2010 and January 2011, there were 18 fatalities, 179 people seriously inujured and 982 people slightly injured on Oxfordshire’s roads. During that period, 13 people were seriously injured and 70 slightly injured at fixed camera sites.

Safety camera sites have continued to perform well across the region, with the number of people killed or seriously injured being reduced by 43% compared to the three years before sites were installed. All casualties have also reduced at sites by 23% compared with the periods before installation.

A study by the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership after the cameras were switched off in August 2010, highlighted that the rate of offences at camera sites just one month after they were deactivated were 2.9 times higher than when they were still active.

Buckinghamshire Changes Speed Limits

As part of an ongoing countywide review, Transport for Buckinghamshire is introducing new 30 and 40mph speed limits in parts of Aylesbury Vale. The new speed limits come into force from 31st March.

30mph limits will replace the national speed limit in Ashendon, Boarstall, Chilton, Dorton, Ludgershall, Nether/Lower Winchendon and Upper Winchendon.  40mph limits will replace the national speed limit on the B4011 at Foresters on the north west side of Oakley, Easington, Long Crendon north west (Chearsley).

Villages including Brill, Chearsley, Cuddington, Long Crendon, Waddesdon ( Warmstone Lane), Westcott and Worminghall, will have their 30mph zones extended. The changes were advertised for public consultation between November 2009 to January 2010.

In addition, a 40mph limit will replace the current national speed limit at Kingswood. Vehicle activated signs will be also installed on a temporary basis, to make drivers aware of the new limit and encourage them to keep within it. The crash rate for the A41 through Kingswood is currently above the 'expected' threshold for an A road. The signs will be be moved from one location to another to ensure that as many communities as possible benefit from them.

Valerie Letheren, Buckinghamshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Transport said: "We urge drivers to take notice of these new speed limits which are intended to improve the quality of life for local residents and improve safety for all those using these stretches of road. Some drivers may feel frustrated they have to slow down, but we hope they will understand why these limits have been put in, especially if they think about the speed they'd prefer people to travel past their own houses!"