Local authorities will be required to publish information about speed cameras under new guidance provided by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning on 27 June

Speed cameras: more transparency on use

Greater accountability for speed camera use

THOSE law-enforcing yellow boxes on stalks – speed cameras – are going to have to spill the beans on their use and effectiveness according to Road Safety Minister Mike Penning.

Figures showing the numbers of accidents and casualties at speed camera sites – both before and after cameras were installed – will be published by local authorities.

And police forces will publish the number of speeding prosecutions arising from each camera in their area, as well as force-wide information about whether offenders are fined, complete a speed awareness course or are taken to court.

Mike Penning said: “We want to improve accountability and make sure that the public are able to make informed judgements about the decisions made on their behalf. So if taxpayers’ money is being spent on speed cameras then it is right that information about their effectiveness is available to the public.

“That is why we want full details of accidents and casualties at camera sites, along with the number of offences arising from each camera, to be easily accessible. This will help to show what impact cameras are having on road safety and also how the police are dealing with offenders.”

English highway authorities will be required to either publish or ensure publication of site by site casualty, collision and speed information for permanent fixed camera sites as soon as practical, and should provide the website address to the Department by 20 July.

The information to be published includes: annual collision and casualty data back to 1990 for the numbers of killed and seriously injured people and for all personal injuries. Local authorities which support camera enforcement financially should also ensure that a deployment strategy is published.

The Department says it will set up a central hub providing links to local websites where the information is published.

The Highways Agency will publish site by site casualty, collision and speed information for permanent fixed camera sites on its network or provide links to where such sites are being included in what local authorities are publishing.

Police forces will be required to publish the number of prosecutions arising from each permanent or long term temporary fixed camera site in their area each year, along with the total number of offences recorded by all cameras and the total numbers of offenders given a fixed penalty notice, or taken to court and the numbers of people opting to complete speed awareness courses.

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