The new that Swinton Insurance can no longer rely on driving licence penalty points to identify risky drivers is the latest blow to the failed speed camera programme. Speed cameras have caused wide ranging COLLATERAL DAMAGE' to many areas of our subtle and complex road safety system.

Examples of COLLATERAL DAMAGE include:

- We have learned today that the penalty points system can no longer be trusted to identify risky drivers. [1]

- The is well known ongoing damage to the Police / public relationship.

- Safe Speed analysis points the finger for declining driving standards firmly at 'bad road safety policy' which in turn is founded on speed cameras.Declining driving standards are cited by TRL (formerly Transport ResearchLaboratory) as the main reason for road deaths not falling. Safe Speed agrees.

- Safe Speed recently published a report detailing 40 negative side effects resulting from speed camera policy. [2]

But, earlier this year, Department for Transport cancelled their research into speed camera side effects. [3]

Paul Smith, founder of SafeSpeed.org.uk, said: "Speed cameras have caused massive COLLATERAL DAMAGE to driver quality, road safety planning, the Police / public relationship. The latest damage is to the driving licence penalty points system, which, according to Swinton Insurance, cannot any longer be trusted to identify risky drivers."

"Speed cameras are to road safety what a hammer is to watch repair. Road safety is subtle and complex, and is founded in human psychology. Speed cameras are 'bad psychology' and have a wide range of damaging side effects. They are the hammer that is damaging road safety."

"This is truly a case of 'the cure is worse than the disease'. We must SCRAP SPEED CAMERAS now to limit the damage. That's why our 10 Downing Street petition to scrap speed cameras has gathered 23,000 signatures See:http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/scrapcam ."