Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Partnership Policies
Deployment Strategy:
Not all camera sites are in operation at the same time. We prioritise camera resources among the existing fixed speed and mobile camera sites, ensuring that cameras are deployed to the areas where they are most needed. Each site is categorised as Red, Amber, Green or White according to a combination of:
- The number of collisions resulting in personal injury at the camera site in the previous three years, using the guidelines for installation of a new camera site as a baseline.
- The mean 85th percentile speed (the speed at which 85% of vehicles are travelling at or below) according to speed surveys conducted at each site over the last three years in relation to the ACPO enforcement threshold.
- The number of offences detected by the camera during the previous three years.
Deployment is then prioritised among fixed speed sites as follows (resources permitting):
- Red sites will receive a minimum of 4 deployments per month, each deployment lasting up to 4 days.
- Amber sites will receive a minimum of 2 deployments per month, each deployment lasting up to 4 days.
- Green sites will receive a minimum of 1 deployment per month, each deployment lasting up to 4 days.
For fixed speed camera sites in operation as of 10 May 2010 (307, including bi-directional sites), the split is as follows:
- Red = 11% of all sites
- Amber = 21% of all sites
- Green = 37% of all sites
- White = 31% of all sites
Local Policy Documents:
The documents in this section form the basis of the working arrangements for the operation of safety cameras within the West Midlands Metropolitan Area. These documents are in PDF format, please download Acrobat Reader to view them.
The Service Level Agreement established the roles and responsibilities of each partner organisation within the West Midlands Casualty Reduction Scheme (then West Midlands Casualty Reduction Partnership) under the cost recovery scheme which operated in the West Midlands from October 2002 to March 2007.
Service Level Agreement
The Casualty Reduction Scheme is now overseen by the West Midlands Road Safety Partnership. The roles of each partner relating to the operation of safety cameras, along with local policies on site selection and deployment are set out in the Safety Camera Protocols.
Safety Camera Protocols
National Rules, Guidance and Best Practice:
The documents in this section cover national rules and guidance for use of safety camera enforcement technology. These documents are in PDF format, please download Acrobat Reader to view them.
Prior to April 2007, the West Midlands Casualty Reduction Scheme deployed camera technology in accordance with the Department for Transport's "Handbook of Rules and Guidance for the National Safety Camera Programme for England and Wales". From 1 April 2007, the National Safety Camera Programme ceased to operate, and DfT Circular 01/2007 was issued to provide guidance on best practice on the deployment of speed and red-light cameras after this date. These guidelines cover the way in which new sites are selected, along with visibility and signing of existing camera sites and have been incorporated into the Safety Camera Protocols used within the West Midlands (see above). They do not restrict of fetter the police’s discretion to enforce covertly anywhere, at any time.
Use of Speed and Red-light Cameras for Traffic Enforcement: Guidance on Deployment, Visibility and Signing
The Association of Chief Police Officers have issued a code of practice instructing deployment officers on the correct use of enforcement technology to comply with regulations and the conditions of type approval.
ACPO Code of Practice for Operational Use of Road Policing Enforcement Technology
How the Casualty Reduction Scheme works to achieve regional road safety targets:
The West Midlands area has several key road safety actions supporting 2010/11 casualty reduction targets. Whilst clearly WMCRS are not in a position to support the majority of this work, there are several areas that benefit from the Scheme's activities:
| Requirement |
Casualty Reduction Scheme involvement in achieving target |
| Organise and deliver road safety education in schools |
Liaison with local authority road safety education officers |
| Organise and manage cycle skills training in line with recognised good practice. |
|
| Organise and manage practical, on-road pedestrian skills training with 5-9 year old pupils, to target areas with higher numbers of child pedestrian casualties, particularly in areas of higher deprivation. |
|
| Develop and promote an annual regional publicity campaign in conjunction with partners in statutory and voluntary organisations. |
Promotion of safety camera scheme and development of campaigns highlighting the dangers of inappropriate speed, drink-driving, use of mobile phones and anti-social use of vehicles |
| Ensure an effective and efficient SCP service. |
|
| Develop child safety audits. |
|
| Ensure all schools receive information containing both local, regional and national road safety information |
|
| Deliver driver improvement courses in conjunction with West Midlands Police. |
WMCRS manage driver improvement courses alongside West Midlands Police |
| Promote regional initiatives to combat speeding in conjunction with WMCRS |
WMCRS undertake all work relating to safety cameras and promotion of adherence to speed limits |
| Support national publicity campaigns with local initiatives. |
DfT anti-speeding campaigns supported with WMCRP distribution of materials |
To ensure strategies are complimentary, WMCRS attends regular meetings with local authority engineers and road safety officers to discuss details relating to: Local Transport Plan targets, performance indicators, traffic calming, general engineering practice, campaigns and research.
Freedom of Information
