Who manages Safety Cameras on the roads?
Safety Cameras
Everyday about 10 people will die and a further 70 will be seriously injured on our roads and excessive or inappropriate speed will be a factor in a significant number of these accidents. Cameras have played a vital part in helping us reduce road casualties:
- deaths and serious injuries have fallen by 35% on roads where speed cameras operate.
- the number of vehicles speeding at camera sites dropped by 67%
- average speed at all camera sites fell by 10%
The purpose of cameras is not to raise money. Cameras are about changing driver behaviour. Their purpose is to encourage drivers to stay within the speed limit. The best and most effective camera would be the one that doesn't issue a single ticket.
It is a myth that the money raised by cameras goes to the police. Under the Safety Camera Funding Scheme, only the cost of maintaining and administering the cameras is retained the surplus goes straight to the Exchequer. There are also strict guidelines about the visibility of safety cameras (see paragraphs below) and rules that govern the selection of new camera sites (see download at the foot of the page). It is not in the interests of local authorities or the police to place cameras where they can not be seen, or do not help to reduce casualties.
The Safety Camera Funding Scheme
The funding scheme that allows some fine revenue to be re-invested in camera activity was made available nationally on 13 August 2001. This followed a pilot scheme in eight police force areas that was so successful a decision was made to go ahead with national roll-out before the completion of the trial. In order to take part in the scheme police areas must work with the local authorities, the police and courts. The Safety Camera Funding Scheme (sometimes referred to as 'netting off') now covers the majority of police areas in the country and it is hoped that eventually the scheme will cover the whole country. Areas covered by the Safety Camera Funding Scheme.
In June 2004, the Department for Transport published the results of an independent report evaluating the first three years of the safety camera scheme, as well as the details of every site where a camera may be used, including the reasons for their approval and the impact they have had.
Guidelines for the placement of safety cameras:
There are clear guidelines covering where and how safety cameras should be placed, and measures to be taken to ensure drivers are aware of them. It is a responsibility of each safety camera partnership to ensure that the location details of fixed cameras are available to both the public and local media.
In December 2001 additional guidelines were introduced insisting that all safety cameras within the Safety Camera Funding Scheme should be bright yellow to ensure maximum visibility. Full details of the guidelines can be found in Press Notice 517 issued 3 December 2001(see link below)
The following guidelines must be considered for the location of each speed camera:
Prominence of fixed site enforcement cameras (including digital cameras): The camera housings in most circumstances should be yellow. No alternative colours will be accepted. However, if for any reason highway authorities consider that there are special circumstances, for example in areas of outstanding natural beauty, then exceptions can be considered.
Visibility of fixed site enforcement cameras (including digital cameras): Al camera housings (existing and new) should be visible to road users and not obscured behind bridges, signs, trees or bushes. The minimum visibility distance should be 60 metres where the speed limit is 40 mph or less and 100 metres for all other limits.
Visibility of Mobile enforcement sites: Camera operatives at the mobile camera sites should wear fluorescent clothing and abide by all Health and Safety requirements. Vehicles should be clearly marked as camera enforcement vehicles with reflective strips (uniquely identifying them as speed camera enforcement vehicles). Covert operations can in exceptional circumstances be allowed but must be recorded by the partnership.
Signing: Camera warning and speed limit reminder signs must be placed in advance of fixed or mobile speed enforcement taking place. Ideally these should be placed within 1 km of fixed camera housings and at the beginning of a targeted route for mobile enforcement sites. Signs must only be placed in areas where camera housings are present or along routes where mobile enforcement will be targeted.
Communications: The location of both fixed and mobile cameras should be well publicised via local web-sites, public sector announcements on radio stations and in local newspapers.
Sign design: Signs must comply with those specified in Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions or specially authorised by DfT.
Site review: Each site must be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that conditions on prominence, visibility and signing have not changed or do not require alteration.
Re-investment of speeding fines
Safety camera partnerships are not there to raise money and neither the police nor the local authority receive any money from the operation of safety cameras. Strict Treasury rules mean that any money from fines that is returned to the safety camera partnerships can only be spent on the operational costs of their camera network, including new cameras where the need can be identified. All remaining money goes to the Treasury, it does not stay with the Partnership.
Further information
A Frequently Asked Questions paper on speed camera operations is available.
The three-year evaluation report into the national safety camera programme was published in June 2004.
A full evaluation of the Funding Scheme is also available from the Safety Cameras section.
The location details of all camera sites were published by the Department for Transport in June 2004.
