A COST RECOVERY SYSTEM FOR SPEED AND RED-LIGHT CAMERAS - TWO YEAR PILOT EVALUATION

In April 2000, a cost recovery system for speed and red-light cameras was introduced in eight pilot areas in England, Wales and Scotland. The eight areas were selected to represent a range of geographies, casualty reduction strategies and enforcement technologies. In the first two years of operations, the following results have been achieved: (1) Speed is down. Based on a large number of speed surveys vehicle speeds have dropped following the introduction of both fixed site and mobile speed cameras. The reduction in speed has been greatest in urban areas. (2) Casualties are down. Where cameras were introduced, there has been a statistically significant reduction in casualties. The greatest reduction has been in killed and serious casualties. The number of pedestrian casualties has also fallen significantly. In the last two years, killed and serious casualties at camera sites have fallen by 35% compared to the longterm trend. In terms of enforcement technology, fixed site cameras have had the greatest impact (65% reduction), and mobile speed cameras have also proved effective (29% reduction). Cameras appear to be equally effective in urban and rural areas. (3) Public reaction has been positive. Public attitude surveys indicated that the majority of the public support targeted camera enforcement. There has been significant demand locally for enforcement. In the two years of the pilot operation there have been important lessons learned that should inform future decisions on camera enforcement. In this report, the authors set out the results from the pilot areas and assess the implications for speed and red-light camera enforcement in the future.