There are approximately 11,500 speed camera sites throughout the UK. This includes 4500 fixed camera sites and over 7000 mobile camera sites used by the Safety Camera Partnerships and the Police. Since 1998 the number of fixed penalty notices issued has trebled from around 700,000 a year to more than 1.9 million a year. This means that speeding fines are now raising nearly £120 million a year in revenue.
How safe are Britain’s Roads?
The United Kingdom has an extremely good road safety record especially when compared to most other EU countries and many industrialised nations including both USA and Japan.
In the 1930s there were approximately 2.3 million motor vehicles on Britain’s roads and more than 7,000 people killed in road accidents each year. In contrast there are now 27 million vehicles on Britain’s roads and an around 3000 road deaths per year.
Whilst road deaths fell by around 170 per year [on average] between 1971 and 1998, figures from 1998 to 2005 appear to indicate a slow in progress, with road deaths dropping by only 30 per year, on average.
What causes accidents?
There are many factors that contribute to and cause road traffic accidents. This includes driver distraction, lack of good judgment, human error, vehicle condition and excessive use of speed.
Department of Transport figures from 2005 suggest failing to look properly was a contributory factor in 32% of all accidents. Careless or reckless driving was a contributory factor in 16% of accidents, whilst exceeding the marked speed limit was a contributory factor in 5% of all accidents. Interestingly “traveling too fast for the road conditions” was a contributory factor in 12% of all accidents.
Driving at an Appropriate Speed
Driving at the correct speed involves more than simply driving at the marked speed limit. Speed limits can often be set arbitrarily at the request of local councils and communities, and aren’t necessarily a reflection of the speed at which it is safe to travel. As a driver you should ensure that you are traveling at a speed that is appropriate for the prevailing conditions.
Whilst the marked speed limit may be 30mph it would be dangerous to travel at this speed if, for example, you are traveling along a busy high street on a wet and windy day, with parked cars on either side of the road.
Conversely some, including many of the countries leading motoring organisations argue that it may be safe to raise the speed limit to allow motorists to travel in excess of 70mph on the some stretches of the motorway network.
Untaxed, Unchecked, Uninsured, Unroadworthy...
Figures suggest that there are more than 2 million untaxed and uninsured drivers on Britain’s roads today. The association of British Insurers says that an uninsured driver is ten times more likely to have convictions for drink driving and six times more likely to be behind the wheel of an unroadworthy vehicle
These figures continue to spiral, with 63% more road tax evaders on our roads than eight years ago. Untaxed, uninsured drivers have a one in 20 chance of being prosecuted now compared to a one in six chance in 1999. Many argue that the governments reduction in road traffic police and increase in automated camera enforcement has lead to a social underclass of driver who are left unchecked and out of control in unregistered vehicles.