Public opinion is swinging in favour of safety cameras and the vital role they play in cutting deaths and serious injuries on the roads of Kent and Medway.
A new survey reveals that most people have positive views about why safety cameras exist. The independent research was commissioned by the Kent & Medway Safety Camera Partnership, which is responsible for the operation of yellow fixed safety cameras and safety camera vans.
Safety cameras are much-maligned and are often viewed with suspicion and hostility by motorists, so the Partnership is pleased to see that public opinion is warming to the part they play in making our roads safer.
In the poll, more than seven out of ten people (72.8%) agreed or strongly agreed that fixed and mobile safety cameras are just one of several measures used to cut the number of deaths and serious injuries on the county’s roads. And 71.5% of those polled agreed or strongly agreed that the most successful safety camera is one that does not generate any revenue as no-one is breaking the speed limit.
“It is reassuring to see that our message that safety cameras save lives is getting through to the public but we are not complacent and acknowledge that much more needs to be done to keep people safe on the roads of Kent and Medway,” said Katherine Barrett, Communications Officer for the Partnership.
“There are many misconceptions about safety cameras and we are redoubling our efforts to engage with people and to educate and inform them about safety cameras and why we believe they are such an effective weapon in our war to cut road deaths,” she added.
The survey reveals that nearly six out of ten (58.8%) people agree with the view that fixed yellow safety cameras are located in places where a number of speed-related crashes have happened, while 41.3% believed they are sited where they will issue the most tickets and make the most money in fines.
Asked to agree or disagree with a series of statements about fixed yellow safety cameras and also mobile safety cameras in vans, it was clear that people had a more negative view of the mobile camera vans. For example, while 70.8% of people agreed or strongly agreed that fixed safety cameras are clearly visible to motorists, only 21.1% thought the same about mobile safety cameras.
Katherine Barrett said that it was a concern that a significant number of people still appear to be unclear about how and where mobile safety camera vans operate.
“Although the survey showed we’re heading in the right direction in terms of awareness and support for the role cameras play in making the county’s roads safer, a number of those interviewed still thought camera vans weren’t clearly visible and were even deliberately hidden to try to catch motorists out.
“We follow strict guidelines when it comes to where safety cameras are sited, and these apply to safety camera vans as well as to yellow fixed cameras on the roadside.
“It’s a myth that our safety camera vans are free to roam the county and stop wherever they choose. They only operate on a stretch of road where at least one person has been killed or seriously injured in a speed-related crash over a 5km stretch of road, in the three years prior to installation.
“As well as clearly marking the vehicles, we also put up black and white signs to warn drivers that, even if there is no yellow fixed camera up ahead, a safety camera van could be operating in that area.
“We have an open and honest approach to road safety and do everything we can to warn drivers about where and how cameras operate so that they don’t get a ticket. That’s why the locations of all our safety cameras – fixed and mobile – are listed on our website. To find out where they are in your area, visit www.kmscp.org,” added Katherine.
In other results, the survey showed that most people are aware of the consequences of speeding – 82.3% of respondents knew that the penalty is three points on your licence and a £60 fine if caught breaking the speed limit by a fixed or mobile safety camera.
In a further encouraging sign that people are quick to take heed of new road safety initiatives, the majority of those polled (53%) were aware that mobile safety camera vans are now enforcing mobile phone and seat belt offences. This campaign has only been introduced within the last six months in the county.
* The survey was carried out as the Partnership revealed it had helped smashed a government-set target, set in 2000, of cutting the number of deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 40% by the end of 2010. Thanks to a combination of road safety campaigns, engaging with and educating motorists, and enforcement, figures show that the number of people killed or seriously injured are now 63% lower across our county’s safety camera sites, compared to the three years before cameras were installed. That’s 324 casualties that have been prevented in Kent and Medway.