Safety cameras were first deployed in the early 1990s in order to reduce speeds and casualties on the roads.
In a report titled 'The National Safety Camera Programme - 4 year evaluation report', carried out by the Department for Transport (DFT) in 2005 evaluating the effectiveness of safety cameras, the following findings were highlighted:
- There had been a significant reduction in speeds at camera sites based on a substantial body of evidence from a large number of sites across a number of partnership areas.
- The majority of the public supported the use of safety cameras for targeted enforcement.
- There was a strong association between the fall in speed and the fall in collisions, casualties and deaths at camera sites. The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) reported in 1994 that every 1mph reduction in average speed led to a 5% reduction in collisions. A further study in 2000 validated this figure.
Department for Transport - Cameras Save Lives
Progress toward reducing collisions to save lives
At camera sites across Wales there has been a 72%* reduction in the number of people being killed or seriously injured.
* Figures correct as of 2011