Partnership releases 2004 finance figures
1 May 2005

The West Midlands Casualty Reduction Partnership today releases its provisional finance figures for 2004/05. The report, which also includes progress on casualty reduction and public attitudes towards the safety camera scheme, is being presented to the West Midlands Planning and Transport Sub-committee.

Provisional figures for 2004 show that 55,000 motorists paid fines for speeding and red-light jumping, equating to £3.29m in fines. While this is an increase on the £2.76m paid in fines in 2003, the Partnership stressed that their aim was not increasing detections, but rather reducing casualties.

Adam Warwick, spokesman for the Partnership says:

"Several research projects have suggested that between 6 and 9 out of 10 motorists admit to regularly breaking the speed limit; however in term of drivers actually being fined for speeding we are talking about only 2% of the motoring public. Our Partnership undertakes only the level of enforcement necessary to act as a deterrent to speeders. In addition, our enforcement strategy is based on casualty numbers; if we were about raising revenue we'd be putting cameras where there is the greatest chance of catching speeders, but this is not the case."

The report also highlights the successes of the scheme in terms of casualty reduction. By comparing casualty data on the three years before and after a camera was installed, on average there has been a 39% reduction in serious and fatal collisions at camera sites, which equates to 165 fewer people killed or seriously injured on roads around the West Midlands each year.

"These figures are very encouraging for us as we seek to achieve the Governments 2010 road safety targets. These casualty figures, combined with the fact that there are now 20% fewer drivers exceeding the speed limit at camera sites, are strong indications that the scheme is having a positive effect on road safety across the region."

These positive effects also appear to be having an impact on the general public's attitude towards the scheme. The Partnerships annual public attitude survey has shown a positive swing in support of cameras as a casualty reduction tool:

"In 2004 more people believe that fewer accidents are likely to occur where cameras are installed, and fewer people think that cameras are just a way of making money out of motorists."

In addition the report outlines the number of cameras that have been installed since 2003, along with the cameras that have been removed. A total of 24 cameras have been installed, with 3 being removed and a further 8 installations cancelled. In total this equates to an annual increase in the number of housings on 2002 figures of less than 4% per year.

"This clearly shows that we are only installing equipment in the most dangerous areas, whilst also removing cameras that no longer serve a road safety purpose. We hope that this report will help more people understand that the Partnership is not about installing cameras and raising revenue, but rather casualty reduction."