New study says speed cameras don't work [priv]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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From: me () richard org
Subject: New study: Excessive Speed Enforcement (and Cameras) have Failed
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Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 18:11:34 -0700 (PDT)

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A new study, released October 15, looks the effect of speed
cameras and doubling of speeding violation fines in both
Australia and the UK.  It finds that these measures, which
are catching on in the US, have failed to produce positive
results.

-- The report finds that the introduction of cameras
actually interrupted a downward trend in UK accidents. "If
the 1966-93 trend line had continued until 2001 there would
have been 825 fewer fatalities in that year than were
actually recorded." The difference in trends before and
after cameras were introduced is called the 'fatality gap.'
-- "…there is an almost perfect linear correlation between
the increase in speed camera tickets and the increase in the
fatality gap."
-- The report's author notes that his findings are
consistent with those of a 2000 Canadian report 'Safe Roads,
Safe Communities' which found their camera program "had no
discernible impact on speed or on the fatal accident rate."

British researcher Dr. Alan Buckingham conducted the study
which appears in the journal "Policy" of the Centre for
Independent Studies in Australia. It's too big to attach, so
I put it online for your personal use, if you're interested:
http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/buckingham.pdf

Richard
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