Camera scheme launched to tackle road safety

In a month that has seen the deaths of 18 people on Northern Ireland's roads, the PSNI has announced a new safety camera scheme designed to reduce speed and increase safety.

According to the PSNI, speed is the biggest cause of all deaths and serious injuries in Northern Ireland, with over 29% of fatalities due to excess speed. Safety camera schemes across Great Britain have led to an average reduction of 47% in the number of people killed and seriously injured in the vicinity of camera sites.

The scheme, which begins on July 1, provides that money brought in from the payment of fixed penalty notices associated with speed and red light running camera detections can be used to recover costs in relation to the expansion and operation of the scheme.

Superintendent Ian Hamill, Head of Road Policing Development Branch, said: "This is an initiative where there will be a significant increase in the use of our existing mobile speed cameras and the introduction of fixed site speed and red light running cameras over the next three years."

The first phase of the scheme will see a significant increase in the use of existing mobile speed cameras and, as the scheme progresses, 20 new digital fixed site speed cameras and 14 new digital red light running cameras will be introduced.

Superintendent Hamill also said that PSNI are at an advanced stage of investigating a number of other technological options to reduce speeding and thereby further reduce the unnecessary carnage on our roads.

He added: “Speed cameras will be deployed on roads with a high incidence of road traffic collisions but motorists must heed the warning - SLOW DOWN, or be caught and face the penalty.”

NIO Minister Angela Smith MP said: “All the evidence shows that excessive speed is the single biggest cause of death and serious injury on our roads and I have no doubt that the extra safety cameras announced by the PSNI this morning will bring about a dramatic reduction in speed related collisions.”

She added: “I have seen at first hand how successful safety camera schemes have been in reducing the carnage on roads in Great Britain. I have every confidence that we will see the same effect on Northern Ireland roads. My message today is simple – Slow down or pay the price because you will be caught."

SDLP assmelby member for East Derry, Michael Coyle, welcomed the move saying: "All of us need to realise that driving carefully and within designated speed limits is not a choice or some helpful advice – it is the law.

"I hope this is something that will act as a deterrent and help make our roads as safe and secure as they possibly can be."

(GMcG)