Camera catch
SPEED cameras have made an irrevocable difference to motoring. They have made accident blackspots safer – and they have forced all drivers to be more responsible when they get behind the wheel.
They also continue to polarize public opinion. Many argue that they are a necessary evil, while others contend that the recent proliferation of cameras is fuelled by the need to boost the Treasury's finances.
Either way, speed cameras are here to say – despite the scepticism expressed by the TaxPayers' Alliance. One way forward is for Ministers to review the criteria for the use of cameras so they are only used on roads where there is a genuine safety threat – and not on those sites where they will generate the most revenue.
And sceptics might be further reassured if money raised from speeding fines was spent on road safety and transport improvements rather than being swallowed up by the Treasury.