Commenting on the removal of speed cameras in Swindon and figures on casualty rates at former camera sites, Professor Stephen Glaister said:
“Just as it would be a foolish and brave politician who decided to install speed cameras merely to raise revenue by way of a stealth tax, it would be a reckless one who decided they had no part to play in road safety on the basis of what has happened in Swindon.”
“The town’s expereince seems to offer absolutely no statistical assurance that fixed speed cameras do not contribute to preventing death and injury on the nation’s roads.”
Professor Glaister was speaking after it was reported that:
Swindon council said that while there had been one fatal accident on the roads covered by the cameras in August-October 2008, there had been no deaths in the
same period this year. There were four slight-injury accidents in August-October 2008 compared with two serious-injury and four slight-injury accidents in August-October 2009.