An investigation by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international group of experts who specialise in public health issues, has shown that the use of speed cameras reduces speeds and crashes. Thirty five studies met the inclusion criteria for the report which principally considered results in developed world countries. Compared with controls, the relative reduction in average speed ranged from 1% to 15% and the reduction in proportion of vehicles speeding ranged from 14% to 65%. In the vicinity of camera sites, the pre/post reductions ranged from 8% to 49% for all crashes and 11% to 44% for fatal and serious injury crashes. Compared with controls, the relative improvement in pre/post injury crash proportions ranged from 8% to 50%.
Richard Owen, Operations Manager for the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership welcomed the findings;
“Our own results show that even taking into account the improving safety record on the roads, the number of crashes in the vicinity of speed cameras has reduced significantly. This report confirms what we have always known; cameras save lives. No serious, credible report has ever shown that cameras cause crashes and contrary to popular belief, most people accept their use on our roads.”