THE more I read about the conversion of the red light cameras at Holes Bay Road to speed cameras, the more outraged I am at the utter lack of natural justice in the use of automated enforcement here.

Exceeding the speed limit – by the government’s own admission – only actually causes about 5-7% of accidents, so it is (a) odd that preventing it attracts so much attention, and (b) sad that the more significant causes of accidents don’t.

Why aren’t the concerned parties putting so much energy into more cost-effective means of accident prevention?

The best way to save lives is simple engineering measures, not criminalising drivers.

But back to Holes Bay – was this camera ever about saving lives, and if why not, then why is it there? This camera is on a three-lane dual carriageway with virtually no dwellings on either side.

Less than a decade ago I believe it was a 70mph road, then the limit became 50mph, now it is 30mph. Why? More to the point, this speed camera looks just like a red light camera, which is what it used to be. There are no specific warning signs to say it is a speed camera; if you’re local (or you have a GPS camera warning device) you’ll know the sneaky trick that has been played. If you’re not then you’re fair game, it seems.

It’s hardly a black spot, is it?

Finally – and damningly – Dorset Police were quoted in the Echo as saying that the Holes Bay camera “was not about accident reduction but was installed because of community concerns”, which is lucky when there’s no real scope for reduction.

Small comfort for the thousands of people in the “community” who have been handed at least a £60 fine and three points, most of them while driving perfectly safely.

JONATHAN ROBSON, Milborne Port, Sherborne