Speed camera enforcement down 14%

Speed cameras vans are spending on average 14% less time catching speeders than a year ago, latest national figures obtained by MCN show.

One of the biggest regional falls has been in South Yorkshire, where the chief constable is the Association of Chief Police Officers’ head of road policing, Meredydd Hughes.

Mobile speed cameras were deployed for 206 hours in the region in June 2006 but only 96 hours in June 2007, a fall of 53%. Only three out of 27 UK regions to provide data have reported a bigger reduction.

MCN reported last month that figures obtained from 25 police force areas under the Freedom of Information Act showed an 11% fall in enforcement. 

Now new figures from South Yorkshire and Humberside have contributed to an even more dramatic picture of decline.

In Humberside speed camera vans were deployed for 468 hours in June 2006 but only 266 hours in June 2007, a fall of 43%.

Humberside Police highlighted flooding this year as a cause but admitted the area was only hit from June 25.

Overall, mobile cameras were deployed for 7,297 hours in 27 police force areas across the UK during June 2006 but only 6,284 hours in June this year.

Under the Government’s National Safety Camera Programme, 38 regional partnerships between police and local councils were created to run cameras using money raised in fines. That scheme was scrapped in April, leaving local councils to pay for camera enforcement out of a general road safety grant.

Twenty-one of the 27 regions to provide data have subsequently reported a reduction in enforcement.

Regions to fail to provide data include North Wales, home of controversial police chief Richard Brunstrom.

The North Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership said mobile cameras were deployed for 213 hours in June 2006 but that “due to a change in system the total hours of mobile enforcement are not held” for June 2007.

See what’s happened to speed camera enforcement in each of the 27 regions by clicking here.