Postcode lottery for speed cameras
03 April 2007
- Study finds speed camera setting variations
- Some 30mph speed cameras flash at 45mph
- Shortage of resources blamed for inconsistency
Whether you get flashed and fined for a speeding offence can depend on where in the UK the camera that caught you is situated.
A study by Oxford University's Said Business School has discovered that while some authorities set their cameras to within tight tolerances, others set speed cameras to flash as high as 45mph on a 30mph road.
The study found that the reading of number plates from the images caught on camera involves large amounts of manual work. Because of this, some regions increased the speed tolerances, therefore reducing the number of offenders, because they don't have the resources to process all the vehicles caught.
Professor Steve Woolgar, of the Said Business School, said: 'The research reveals an extraordinary variation in the use of speed cameras and the application of speed limits. It is not clear that this is helping to win motorists over.'
A spokesperson for Brake, the national road safety charity, said: 'There's a speed limit for a reason. Going over the speed limit by just a few miles an hour can be the difference between life and death. Anyone breaking the speed limit should be punished and the Government should ensure the police have enough resources to enforce the law.'
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