The Sustainable Development Commission has called for average speed check cameras (the kind you often see on motorways when road works are ongoing) to be used on all of Britain’s motorways in efforts to reduce our carbon emissions and to improve safety. According to the Commission, figures from the Department for Transport indicate that the 70mph speed limit on motorways is ignored by more than half of road users – 52% to be precise.
The Commission has highlighted that the introduction of the cameras would encourage smoother, more environmentally friendly driving. Ministers have advised that where average check speed cameras have been introduced, both accidents and the number of speeding fines have been reduced. According to the report, there are currently 10 permanent sets of average speed check cameras currently operational in Britain.
The report goes on to say that in fact, government approval is now imminent for a new generation of average speed check cameras to be used on a network of streets – primarily in urban residential areas where a 20mph speed limit is in force. Further recommendations in the report have suggested the use of “speed limiters” in everyone’s cars to help cut emissions.
The Commission has called for Ministers to set a timetable for the introduction of such technology, with the outcome leading to making it impossible for road users to break the speed limit. The news hasn’t been welcomed by all however – Claire Armstong of the group Safespeed has condemned the use of “time over distance” speed cameras, stating that the arguments for reducing emissions are “unproven”, and stated that “are we to now be expected to offset road safety, against someone’s misunderstood concept of Global Weather Patterns ? If so this would be a travesty.”
The report has also concluded that the average speed check cameras are more effective as they measure the speed of a vehicle over a prolonged distance, rather than just at a single fixed point. This of course prevents motorists from only slowing down as they approach and pass fixed point cameras, which could arguably be more dangerous, particularly if a person speeding slams their brakes on just to prevent being caught and causes an road accident as a result.
Interestingly, according to a separate report from the Daily Mail (source) , a group of government agencies led by Kent Police are calling for the use of military style UAV (Unmanned Ariel Vehicle) drones as a new crime fighting technique, which amongst several considered uses includes the detection of antisocial driving. The army style spy planes are widely used in conflict zones across the globe, and are looking to be adapted to serve as surveillance instruments for gathering evidence for convictions. Personally, I’m not sure I’m keen on the idea of hundreds of drones flying around major towns and cities recording us all… several civil libertarians are likely to condemn the idea with another “Big Brother” style reference.
Breaking the speed limit is of course breaking the law; and a motorist who breaks road traffic laws is liable for any injuries they cause to the victims of any road traffic collision that there negligence might cause. If you have been injured due to the negligence of another road user, be it through speeding or any other traffic offence, speak to an expert independent personal injury solicitor for the right advice on pursuing your claim for compensation.