Road Safety

Speed Checks

On average, 10 people die and 100 people are seriously injured on Great Britain's roads each day.

Two thirds of all crashes in which people are killed or injured happen on roads with a speed limit of 30mph or less. At 35mph a driver is twice as likely to kill someone as they are at 30mph.

Hit by a car at 40mph, 9 out of 10 pedestrians will be killed
Hit by a car at 30mph, around 50% of pedestrians will survive
Hit by a car at 20mph, only 1 out of 10 pedestrians will be killed

Accident risk rises the faster a driver travels. At 25% above the average speed, a driver is about 6 times more likely to have an accident than a driver travelling at the average speed.

At 30mph, vehicles travel 44 feet (about 3 car lengths) every second. Even in good conditions, the difference in stopping distance between 30mph and 35mph is an extra 21 feet - more than 2 car lengths.

Cameras

The purpose of safety cameras is to change driver behaviour - they are only used when people break speed limits. When this happens a camera detects the offence and provides evidence for a fixed penalty notice.

Drivers who choose to exceed the legal speed limits will incur a minimum penalty of £60 and 3 penalty points on their driving licence.

It has been proved nationally that traffic cameras can reduce the number of road crashes and protect road users by encouraging people to drive more slowly.

In 2000, 8 pilot camera partnerships were established in Great Britain. In Year 1 of the pilot 47% fewer people were killed or seriously injured at safety camera sites, and there were 35% fewer crashes and an 18% area wide reduction in casualties.

Year 2 results showed a 35% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads at camera locations, and a 56% reduction in the number of pedestrian casualties at the same sites. There was a 10% reduction in average speeds in the areas monitored.

The London Safety Camera Partnership, which consists of members from the Metropolitan Police, London Police, Association of London Government and Transport for London are the bodies responsible for the implementation of safety cameras.

Fixed cameras are located where 4 or more fatal or serious injury accidents have occurred in the last 3 years.

Contact

Road Safety Team

3rd Floor

Maritime House

1 Linton Road

Barking

IG11 8HG

Supported by Barking and Dagenham Direct:

Tel: 020 8215 3005

Fax: 020 8227 5184

Textphone: 020 8227 5755

Email: 3000direct@lbbd.gov.uk|