Speed cameras will stay yellow


24 February 2006 10:15

Speed cameras across Norfolk will stay yellow, despite the Government scrapping its policy to make the devices visible.

While cameras in the rest of the country could soon be hidden behind trees, painted to blend in with their surroundings or even disguised in signs, bins and buildings, the county's 18 fixed cameras will remain clearly visible.

According to bosses at the Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership, having the cameras bright and clearly visible helps cut down on crashes by making drivers aware of their speed.

The Government is ditching its Handbook of Guidance, which dictates that speed cameras must be clearly visible from 200ft away, in April next year. However, motorists in Norfolk will not be stung by camouflaged cameras, which will become legal.

Bryan Edwards, from the Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership, said: “From day one we have always wanted to be open and transparent about where our cameras are and this will not change. If they can be clearly seen they act as a deterrent to stop people speeding.

“It is not about catching people out so that we make more money.

It is about stopping accidents happening and this will only happen if people slow down. We have six cameras in 18 boxes and we swap the cameras around regularly. If we camouflaged them, those boxes without cameras would not be acting as a deterrent any more.

“The cameras have been successful and have reduced accidents by more than 60 per cent. We want people to know where they are because they stop crashes in high-risk areas. They are safety cameras, not speed cameras because we want to promote safety and educate people to stick to the limit. I am very confident no changes will be made and the boxes will remain bright yellow.”

The new government rules will give local authorities more freedom over where cameras are positioned.

Paul Smith, of anti speed camera organisation Safe Speed, said: “I think the Department for Transport has become fed up with taking the heat for speed cameras and they want to make the local authorities responsible.

“I would say it is fairly unlikely that authorities will camouflage the cameras because there are already so many members of the public against them and it would make matters worse. It would be a stupid move because it would be hard to gain public support and a stupid move in road safety terms.”

Each week between 500 and 700 motorists are caught breaking the speed limit by the county's speed camera network. Last year, the speed cameras in the county were activated 37,162 times, however this figure includes emergency vehicles and not all fines were collected.

Ü For information on the changing locations of mobile speed cameras, log on to www.norfolk-safety-camera.org.uk

Ü What do you think about the decision to keep Norfolk's speed cameras yellow? Write to Letters, Evening News, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RE, email eveningnewsletters@archant.co.uk, or visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk/forums

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