UK motorists will find out whether their local speed cameras are saving the lives of thousands of speeding motorists or just money-spinning road-side furniture, as the Government reveals its new transparency driver scheme.
Unveiled by ministers this week, the scheme will give the public access to previously hidden statistics showing the number of speeding prosecutions and accidents at camera sites throughout Britain.
According to the Government, such information will enable drivers to uncover the nation’s busiest speed cameras while judging their effectiveness in saving lives. The move also looks to quash public anger regarding the increased prevalence of ‘cash cow’ cameras, which many believe prioritise Government revenues over saving lives.
According to the Daily Mail, one camera at the southern end of the M11 in Essex, which raises over £1million-a-year in fines, has even been found to have increased the numbers of crashes and injuries at its site.
“We want to stop motorists being used as cash cows. For too long information about speed cameras has been hidden in the shadows,” said Mike Penning, the Government’s Road Safety Minister.
“This new data will end that by clearly showing whether a camera is saving lives or just making money.”