Archive - Thursday, 1 December 2005


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Slight accidents do not justify speed cameras

IN reply to Andrea Morris' letter concerning the speed camera at Newnham Bridge, after four months of bitter correspondence with the Safety Camera Partnership I have finally tracked down the Collisions Record for the period January 1999 until September 2005.

As issued by the Accident Studies Team at Worcester County Hall, it seems that during this seven-year period there were 11 incidents classified as slight, and one incident of a woman falling off her 125cc m/cycle which was classified as serious.

In other words, a speed camera has been picking up fines at Newnham Bridge because an average of 1.7 incidents have occurred per year for the past seven years.

What is clear is that the 30mph stretch of road from the Talbot Inn to where the camera van parks has seen no serious accidents in the past seven years, only 11 slight ones.

Thus the reason there has been so much controversy and outcry from the public is because the SCP are using three serious incidents prior to the Talbot Inn as an excuse to catch drivers on the much longer safe stretch beyond.

What is obviously needed is for Worcester County Council to be persuaded to increase the speed limit on the stretch after the Talbot to 40mph.

As an ordinary citizen I have finally come as far as I can in my battle with the SCP, so I have left all the facts with MPs Bill Wiggin and Philip Dunne and hopefully they will carry the fight forward and settle the matter once and for all. In the name of common sense, I hope they succeed.

NORMAN WANSTALL,

Boraston Drive,

Burford.