We're still speeding. DfT is playing 'let's pretend' with our lives.
'Vehicle Speeds in Great Britain 2006' [1] published today by Department for Transport indicates that we're still speeding is huge numbers despite about 15 years of speed cameras.
The dream for speed cameras was that they would change our behaviour. But in the last 15 years the proportion of car drivers 'speeding' on most road types has stayed roughly the same.
Examples:
Road type 1994 2006
Motorways 47% 53%Dual Carriageways 40% 45%Single Carriageways 10% 10%30mph speed limit 69% 50%40mph speed limit 31% 27%
[ 1994 figures from VSGB 1997 [2] ]
The only significant change is in 30mph speed limits, and the largest part of that change is associated with a change in data gathering technique in 2002.
But the amazing fact that Department for Transport ignore is that despite more than half of car drivers speeding on most road types, Department for Transport figures show that only 5% of all injury crashes include ANY SPEEDING VEHILCE [3].
This 10:1 under-representation of speeding in the injury crash statistics gives the lie to the whole idea that 'speeding causes crashes'.
Paul Smith, founder of http://www.safespeed.org.uk, said: "Department for Transport are playing 'let's pretend' with road safety and with our lives.Their own figures show that speeding is ten times more commonplace on the roads than in the crash statistics. That PROVES that there's an awful lot of vehicles out there exceeding the speed limit in perfect safety."
"Of course the truth is that we are adjusting our speed to suit the conditions.When the road is clear we go faster. When there are hazards about - and the risk of crashes increases - we naturally slow down. Adjusting speed to the conditions underpins the whole of road safety."
"We're still speeding despite 15 years of speed cameras. The reason is simple.We adjust our speed according to the conditions. It's the essence of road safety and a behaviour that Department for Transport must encourage, not deny.
"Speed cameras have FAILED to influence behaviour. They have FAILED to make the roads safer. They have STOLEN life saving resources at every level in our road safety system and made the roads MORE DANGEROUS. No wonder our 10 Downing Street petition has already gathered over 20,000 signatures. Every motorist should sign it today at: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/scrapcam .
"Of course driving like a nutter is dangerous. Everyone knows that. Nutters might drive fast and cause horrific crashes. But it's not exceeding the speed limit that causes the crash - it's driving like a nutter. The behaviours - and the solutions - are entirely different."
