News RSS Feed Send your news, pictures & videos


Don't miss our new Youth Sport supplement every Thursday inside your Echo Youth Sport inside the Daily Echo

Facebook Daily Echo on Facebook

All of today's content from across the site, all in one place at bournemouthecho.co.uk/today

Dorset man's call to end ‘petty’ use of speed cameras

7:00pm Wednesday 9th June 2010 in


AN anti-speed camera crusader is urging the new government to crack down on “petty over-enforcement” on the roads.

Ian Belchamber, who set up the Dorset Speed website, has wasted no time in taking his campaign against the devices to transport secretary Phillip Hammond.

In an email to the secretary of state, Mr Belchamber slammed many of the initiatives by the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership (DSCP). He specifically cited the “extreme stupidity” of the controversial “speed on green” cameras at Holes Bay.

Mr Belchamber wrote: “If you want to see how bad things have become, this might be a good place to start. There couldn’t be a better example of misuse of these methods than this. The only outcome has been widespread contempt of the police, the law and speed limits.”

The Dorset Speed website takes the view speed cameras are largely a money-making scheme.

Mr Belchamber insists he is very pro-road safety, but argues speed is not the sole contributing factor in accidents.

“In order to try to deliver accident reductions, our councils are reducing limits to the point where they simply cannot be taken seriously,” he said.

Johnny Stephens, head of fixed penalties for DSCP, said they formed in 2002 to “focus on reducing speed” to help cut road deaths and injuries.

In 2002 54 people were killed and 496 seriously injured in traffic collisions in Dorset.

Last year there were 26 deaths and 352 seriously injured.

He said the speed on green safety camera had been installed in Holes Bay Road as a result of work with the council and residents to identify “local speed issues”. It was installed following measurements that showed the average speed there was 43mph.

Related links


Comments(17)

McVICAR says...
8:59pm Wed 9 Jun 10

Sounds like a good idea to me, it worked in swindon so why not here.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Viewpoint says...
9:08pm Wed 9 Jun 10

Ian has my full support on this ludicrous activity which is rarely operated in areas such as schools that require strict adherence to speed limits. These vans are usually squeezed into locations just as you enter a lower speed limit area on the off chance that you haven't slowed quickly enough to adhere to the new limit you are entering.
I would be interested to know how the policemen feel about hiding in cramped claustrophobic vans for long periods. Do they get a choice?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

rotcoddam says...
9:25pm Wed 9 Jun 10

The big problem with cameras is they do not catch the lunatics who drive dangerously just those exceeding the speed limit. They also fail to take into account that there is a world of difference between doing even the stated limit at peak periods with lots of traffic and pedestrians about and doing a vastly higher speed on a deserted stretch of straight road in the early hours of a sunday morning.We have numerous road toll cameras in his area where either the road is so crowded you cant even do 20mph or it is totally empty aand no reasoable speed would be dangerous to anyone.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Morrigan says...
11:28pm Wed 9 Jun 10

The ridiculous thing about the Holes Bay lights is that the speed limit goes from 50 to 30 in a matter of 30 - 40 yards, by which time you are on top of the traffic lights.

People braking hard to avoid going through in excess of 30mph is a regular occurrence and has surely caused more accidents than it has prevented!!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

GB916 says...
9:15am Thu 10 Jun 10

Things will only get worse,there is a 156bn deficit to recover,so local councils will have to make cutbacks,and speed camaeras willbe the perfect way to gain the lost cash,i too agree,speed is not the only factor in road collisions,just look at the no excuses campaign running by Dorset police,they have caught more people using mobile phones,no insurance,MOT etc,things the cameras dont catch.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

mikey2gorgeous says...
9:48am Thu 10 Jun 10

I don't understand - is DorsetSpeed against speed limits or their enforcement? The arguments put forward blur the distinction between the 2 very different issues.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

gerbil112 says...
12:11pm Thu 10 Jun 10

I think you misunderstand the sineage, Morrigan, Poole. Th espeed limit drops from 50mph down to 30mph AT THE POINT OF THE 30mph SIGN. Up to that point you may do up to 50mph (it is a maximum speed limit, not a compulsory one. By the time you rech the 30mph sign, you not be travelling over that speed limit.
.
I admit that there is a 50mph sign shortly before the 30, as you head into Poole, but that is because of the statutory spacing measured from the previous one. It does not mean that you must aim to be doing 50mph at that point.
.
If you pass the 30mph sign at 30mph, you do not have to brake suddenly for the camera as you will be doing 30 or less when you pass it! Simples?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

JonathanP says...
1:20pm Thu 10 Jun 10

Look at Poole council TAG minutes for 12/10/06 document "Setting local speed limits" http://ha.boroughofp
oole.com/committeedo
cuments/agendas_minu
tes_reports_get_file
.asp?f=%2Fcommitteep
df%2Freport%2Ftransp
ortation+advisory+gr
oup%2Ftag121020063sp
eed+limits.doc.pdf
.
This clearly states that a 40mph limit may be more appropriate north of the Asda junction.
.
See para 4.5 which implies what is holding them back from a 40mph limit. They would have to admit they got it wrong and spend money on larger signs.
.
They know this limit should be 40mph, Circular 1/06 from the DfT says it should be based on mean speed, yet they instead enforce a lower limit and rake the money in.
.
The DSCP is concerned more about money and empire building than safety. and has a total disregard for democracy. The coalition is pledged to end the growth of their money machines.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

dorsetspeed says...
2:11pm Thu 10 Jun 10

mikey2gorgeous wrote:
I don't understand - is DorsetSpeed against speed limits or their enforcement? The arguments put forward blur the distinction between the 2 very different issues.
M2g, I would have thought you would know my position on this by now. I have no problem with the principles of limits or enforcing them. Speed limits are a vital part of road safety and they are pointless unless enforced. But the over-enforcement of limits which are much too low, while ignoring dangerous and anti-social drivers, is what is so bad.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

pd7 says...
2:31pm Thu 10 Jun 10

Why not plan a trip and leave in time ?

Save fuel
Save Speed fines
Low stress.
Less wear on car
Less wear on roads.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

JonathanP says...
2:56pm Thu 10 Jun 10

The DSCP tell me they are not aware that 5% currently exceed 80mph on the Dorset Way. They get their stats from the council who have either not worked this out from their own data logger, or think this is acceptable. The DSCP have never been asked to enforce the Dorset Way.
.
With a ban on new fixed cameras, how does Poole council intend to enforce the new unrealistic and ridiculous 50mph limit when they failed to enforce the 70mph limit?
.
What a mess from a Tory controlled council, but to be expected with a bunch of old duffers and housewives in control.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

dorsetspeed says...
3:05pm Thu 10 Jun 10

pd7 wrote:
Why not plan a trip and leave in time ? Save fuel Save Speed fines Low stress. Less wear on car Less wear on roads.
Why not walk? That would save even more. Not an option for me and most people in the real world however, I'm afraid.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Frank Spencer says...
5:51pm Thu 10 Jun 10

Swindon does seem to be the way to go. Probably down to more police around and the real causes of accidents highlighted in the no excuses campaign coming in for more scrutiny their accident rate has dropped. I note Swindon Borough Council is a Con council ~ maybe they are good for something?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

jeebuscripes says...
6:03pm Thu 10 Jun 10

Is this the only time the dump that is Swindon has ever been referred to in a positive light?

I heard a rumour people were losing their licenses in their mad panic to flee Swindon. They had to get rid of the cameras otherwise every person who has inadvertently entered the town wouldn't be allowed to drive again. The council understood this was unfair. That's the real reason they got rid of the cameras. Allegedly.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

JonathanP says...
6:23pm Thu 10 Jun 10

If you use the casualty figures from the council website http://boroughofpool
e.com/go.php?structu
reID=U46406d2f2d56e&
ref=S46C4255047ACA and plot them on a graph of rolling averages, you see that the trend for accidents is as follows:
.
Fatal: approx static since 1994
Serious: decrease from 1994 to 2001, thereafter upwards trend
Slight: downwards trend since 2003
.
The important point here is that the trend for KSI (killed & seriously injured) is up despite all the cameras and lower speed limits. The government target of a 40% reduction by 2010 has been missed. In fact the trend was falling until the formation of the DSCP in 2002 after which then trend is increasing.
.
We need intelligent human beings using common sense to spot bad drivers and retrain them appropriately, not a network of machines simply extracting money.
.
We also need a council committed to seeting speed limits according to DfT guidelines that are realistic and enforceable.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

McVICAR says...
7:08pm Thu 10 Jun 10

Speed cameras rely on nabbing drivers who speed, in a lot of cases its not speed that kills, drunk drivers, drugged up drivers, under age drivers, people who have not taken a driving test,, vehicles with no mot, bald tyres, no brakes to name a few, and of course drivers using mobile phones, none of the above are or can be picked up by speed cameras so whats the point of them, they are an unaffordable waste of space, nothing can beat the traffic cop, eyes are 100% more valus than a speed camera, do away with them now.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

terry1965 says...
7:08pm Fri 11 Jun 10

The DSCP is purely a money making organisation.
They are not the slightest bit interested in road safety.
If they were they would place speed cameras outside every school on a main road (like Bournemouth School for Girls on Castle Lane West for example.)
All local motorists know where the cameras are and slow down and then speed up again. Useless. So the DSCP now have to resort to what I consider to be dirty tricks to screw the motorist: lowering speed limits on busy dual carriageways designed for higher speeds is one blatant ploy to catch more drivers due to the volume of traffic. (Wessex Way. 40mph? You're having a laugh!)
Another is the "Speed on Green" cameras cited at junctions where there is a very small stretch of road from a higher speed limit down to 30mph (Holes Bay at Sterte Avenue).
It's no wonder the majority of motorists despise organisations like the DSCP. They are a money making scam. Nothing more, nothing less.
And I am not ashamed to say that whenever I see those morons sat in their little white "safety camera" vans at the side of the road I always give them a very unfriendly and animated one fingered salute.
No doubt doing that will soon incur a £60 fine and three points on my license.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

More News stories


Most popular







Local Information

Enter your postcode, town or place name

House prices »   Schools »   Crime »   Hospitals »

Local Businesses