Press Release Summary = Controversial and much maligned though speed cameras may be, new figures have revealed that those installed on the M4 have actually been doing their job rather effectively. According to data supplied by the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership (WSSCP), fatal and serious casualties have been cut by 32 per cent in the last two years.
Press Release Body = Controversial and much maligned though speed cameras may be, new figures have revealed that those installed on the M4 have actually been doing their job rather effectively. According to data supplied by the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership (WSSCP), fatal and serious casualties have been cut by 32 per cent in the last two years.
During this period - the length of time that WSSCP has been operating on the stretch of road - the total number of casualties, including minor injuries, has seen a more dramatic drop of 46 per cent. And the figures are even greater in the specific zones of the motorway where the cameras are in operation, with a total cut of 54 per cent, 49 per cent of which are in the fatal and serious category.
Nisha Devani, manager of the safety camera unit, was unequivocal in her assessment of the true cause of this fall in casualties.
\"This dramatic reduction in crashes is as a direct result of our strategy to enforce the national speed limit on this section of the motorway. No other changes have been made to slow traffic down or to make the road any safer,\" remarked the official.
\"Motorists are paying attention to their driving and feedback from the public has been very positive. Most importantly, this improvement has been maintained over the whole of the two-year period and clearly demonstrates a positive change in driver behaviour.\"
Statistics provided by the WSSCP show that traffic usage on the Wiltshire section of the M4 is considerable, with 84,000 vehicles travelling on this stretch every 24 hours. And the local authorities have taken several steps to curb the number of accidents, with police officers patrolling from overhead bridges and permanent signs in place warning motorists that the area is enforced.
Despite this, 12 per cent of all of the county\'s deaths on the road occur on this piece of the M4 - a mere 53km of road. WSSCP also reminded drivers that if they retain a steady pace and ensure they keep the correct distance between other vehicles, the fatality rate will continue to fall.
Furthermore, the area\'s motorists have recently been told they must do more to protect Highways Agency road workers, following two deaths and 19 injuries during 2006. The number of injuries, in particular, was described by the partnership as an \"alarming increase\" and one that must be curbed by using safer driving practices.
2025
