In 2004, Leeds’ A65 road from Kirkstall to Rawdon was fitted with numerous speed cameras in an effort to reduce the number of crashes and deaths that had occurred on the road. Official figures reveal that from 1997 to 2003, 90 crashes occurred, which caused 12 fatalities or near fatalities together with numerous serious and slight injuries. There are now 14 GATSO speed cameras on this stretch of road which is approximately 6 miles long. The speed cameras, which the Police insist are called safety cameras, are controversial and therefore their ability to make that stretch of road safer must be examined.
The West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership has released the figures for personal injury collisions and the number of people killed or seriously injured for each year from 1998 to 2007 for each of the cameras on that stretch of road.
It has been claimed that the speed cameras in Leeds make the roads safer. However, we have to raise the following points when considering how useful the speed cameras in Leeds are:
* Speed cameras only check one speed limit and therefore vehicles that have a lower speed limit than cars, for example HGVs, are not subject to enforcement using speed cameras. We believe most people would consider that a 44 tonne articulated lorry going 10mph over their speed limit is more serious than a small car going 10 mph over their speed limit.
* Speed cameras focus solely on speed. They do not prevent or detect other road traffic offences that are relevant to safety. For example, a driver could commit dangerous driving by overtaking in a dangerous place on the A65 in Leeds but, providing the speed camerais not triggered due to the driver’s excessive speed, they would not be caught. The number and short distance between each of these speed cameras on the A65 in Leeds will force drivers to focus more on their speedometer in fear of breaching the speed limit and less on what is happening on the road. They may notnotice other drivers undertaking unusual manoeuvres or indeed pedestrians, including children, crossing the road. This cannot make the A65 in Leeds any safer.
* Drivers who are aware of the intense speed camera enforcement on the A65 in Leeds may choose other routes to avoid the speed cameras. This may be based on a desire to drive faster than the speed limit and therefore avoid the speed cameras, or possibly drivers may be nervous with so many speed cameras and prefer a more relaxed route. Either way, it is likely that traffic will be deterred from this main route that it is suitable for fairly heavy traffic onto less suitable suburban roads.
We do not know if the speed cameras on the A65 in Leeds make that road any safer but we can be certain that they will not be removed any time soon.