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96% of Rural Road Injury Crashes Do Not Involve Speeding
Speed cameras have been a billion pound red herring
A Safe Speed freedom of information request to Department for Transport has revealed that 96% of rural road injury crashes in 2006 did not involve exceeding a speed limit.
Of the remaining 4% that might, 2% were rated as 'very likely' to include speeding and 2% were rated as 'possibly' including speeding.
This is in stark and dramatic contrast with previous Department for Transport claims that one third of crashes are caused by speeding'.
Figures for fatal crashes show that 7% were 'very likely' to include speeding and 5% more 'possibly' included speeding. It should be obvious to anyone who has examined the figures that a very large but unknown proportion of these fatal crashes involved extraordinary reckless behaviours and certainly not normal responsible motorists a few miles per hour over the speed limit."
Paul Smith, of SafeSpeed.org.uk, said: "These figures make an absolute mockery of the speed camera programme. We have long known that it had failed to save lives and this is why - we never had a 'speeding problem' in the first place."
"It is remarkable to note that extraordinary reckless behaviours are included in these figures. So the thrill seekers, the stolen cars, idiots’ motor racing on the highway and high speed drunks are all included. Once these groups – who will always ignore speed limits - are removed the number of speeding crashes left over for the rest of us is close to zero."
"Department for Transport has had a nasty habit of adding 'too fast for the conditions' figures to 'exceeding the speed limit' figures in an attempt to exaggerate the dangers of speeding and justify their policies. The two should NEVER be added because the first is a legal compliance issue while the second is a driver quality issue. In short they are chalk and cheese and should not ever be added."
"Department for Transport has spent over ten years barking up the wrong tree. Will they now admit that they must address the true causes of rural road crashes? If we want safer roads, we must address the 'human factors' that cause well over 90% of road crashes."
"These figures reveal that speed cameras have been a billion pound red herring. Even worse than that - while we have been fiddling about with the red herring people have continued to die in large numbers of preventable crashes. DfT must now own up to their mistake, scrap speed cameras and refocus national road safety resources on actually saving British lives."
"Of course it is important that no one drives too fast - but neither the speed limit nor the speed cameras can tell us what 'too fast' is. We absolutely depend on judgement whether we like it or not."
Notes
FoI reply will appear here:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/foi/responses/2007/foinov2007
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