UK questioning traffic cams


Response to a parliamentary question
It's not often that you find one news article proving three of your favorite points.

Since the party came to power, the number of fixed penalty notices for speeding has almost trebled from 700,000 a year to more than 1.9 million, the Government statistics showed.

Coupled with an increase in the basic speeding fine, this means speeding tickets are now raising almost £120 million a year - most of which is simply ploughed back into operating the cameras.

But despite the significant increase in speeding penalties in the past 10 years, road deaths have fallen only marginally, while the number of deaths from drink-driving has remained stable.

The figures triggered criticism from motoring groups and opposition politicians, who last night accused the Government of using motoring as a "cash cow". Drivers are already paying more than £1 a litre for petrol as prices soar.

There were only a handful of speed cameras when Labour took office in 1997. Since 2000, when the Government created 38 "road safety partnerships," that total has soared. There are now about 6,000 cameras in England and Wales.

What points you ask?

First, the law of unintended consequences.

Second, that good intentions supposedly matter more than results.

And third, follow the money.

With all three being hit here and no positive results to speak of, don't you think that traffic cams are a really, really Bad™ Idea that should be abolished from the face of the planet?

— NeoWayland

Posted: Tue - December 4, 2007 at 01:43 PM  Tag


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