The NHS, fire brigade and ambulance services benefit from casualty reductions brought about by cameras

“Did you know that cameras cover 2% of the road network in London?”

What cameras have been installed by the LSCP?
Since April 2002, all cameras installed in London strictly comply with Department for Transport (DfT) guidelines:

• Fixed speed cameras – located where four or more fatal or serious injury collisions occurred in the last three years.
• Red light cameras – located where three or more fatal or serious injury collisions occurred in the last three years through red light running.
• Mobile camera vans – located where fewer fatal collisions have occurred or to address specific speed related problems.
• The police have a 15% statutory discretion to use cameras at exceptional sites (these must be supported with evidence)

The partnership publishes fixed camera locations and weekly mobile enforcement schedules on its website (www.lscp.org.uk).

What is the 15% statutory discretion?
These sites are:

• Where there is a history of casualties, but few of them have been serious.
• They do not meet minimum engineering requirements, for example, it might be a new road.
• Local residents highlighted their concerns with their local borough councils.

What percentage of London’s roads have cameras?
On average, cameras cover 2%* of the road network in London.

Why are speed cameras called “safety cameras”?
The term “safety cameras” bundles “speed” and “red light” cameras. There are 640 camera sites in London – only 350 are speed cameras; the rest are red light cameras.

What is the cost to society of a fatal or serious collision?
The average cost of a speed-related injury is £72,718. A fatality can cost approximately £1.42m (source: Highways Economics Note 1, DfT). Each casualty can result in approximately 14 bed days, therefore an elimination of 100 speed and red-light collisions per annum amounts to a saving of 1,400 bed days to the NHS. The NHS, fire brigade and ambulance services benefit from casualty reductions brought about by cameras. An elimination of 100 such collisions amounts to a saving of approximately £7m to society.

What are the targets that the LSCP is working to?
The Partnership works with others to achieve casualtyreduction targets set out in London’s Road Safety Plan (November 2001). This includes a reduction of the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads by 40% by 2010 and a reduction in the number of child casualties by 50% also by 2010.

An elimination of 100 speed and red light collisions per annum amounts to a saving of 1,400 bed days to the NHS

“In the third quarter of 2003, independent surveys showed 85% of Londoners support the use of cameras”

Are cameras installed to generate revenues?
Which are the highest “earners” across London?
The success of the LSCP is NOT measured by the amount of revenue collected. Some of these revenues are claimed back by the LSCP to fund operational costs, publicity and road safety education. Any excess is retained by the Treasury.

Is London responding to media pressure by removing or replacing cameras with other devices?
The LSCP has no intention of reducing the number of operational cameras or to replace them with Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs). The LSCP does wish to assess the effectiveness of SIDs, but the scope of this study has not yet been established. It is impossible to predict how many SIDs will be introduced in London or whether they can be used in addition to, or as replacements for cameras.

What are SIDs?
A SID is a radar-based device which measures or displays vehicle speeds. The display warns drivers when they are in excess of the posted speed limit, reminding them to slow down.

Newspaper surveys say cameras are unpopular in London – does the LSCP recognise this?
The LSCP has been conducting regular independent surveys – in the third quarter of 2003, the surveys showed that 85% of Londoners support the use of cameras.

How effective have the cameras been in London?
Monitoring studies show that where cameras have been located, the number of people killed or seriously injured has been reduced by at least 25%. We are now undertaking a more comprehensive study to measure the safety benefits of cameras.

Are cameras a part of the policy of the existing government?
Cameras have had legislative backing for the past 10 years. They are part of the government’s policy in reducing road casualties. Both Labour and Conservative administrations have supported their implementation. The Highway Code states clearly that speeding is an offence.

At what stage does the LSCP take the decision to use cameras?
Various engineering measures are considered before a decision is made to implement a camera, for example, traffic-calming measures such as road humps and chicanes. Road alignments, markings and road signs are also considered before the LSCP implements a camera.

What happens when a camera is about to be installed?
A site assessment is carried out to ensure the site is suitable for an installation and involves a member of the Metropolitan Police, road safety engineers and a London Safety Camera Partnership engineer.

* Approximately 350 speed cameras in London have been deployed across a road network of 13,600kms. A camera has an area of influence of approximately 1km, making a total area of camera influence of 350kms. This means that the average distance between cameras in London is roughly 38km.