Speed Cameras Switched Off for 4 years

Earlier this month it was revealed that out of Newcastle's fourteen speed cameras, not one of them was wired to be active.

This shocking revelation is thought to be a money saving scheme conducted by the local council, which resulted in many cameras not working for up to four years. Even senior councillors were kept in the dark and had no idea that speeding motorists faced no risk of getting caught by a speed camera in the city.

Council officials attempted to justify their actions and said that because drivers were not aware that the cameras were inactive, they would still have watched their speed anyway. This is a statement that seems ironic, given that when a selection of the cameras were briefly tested in 2008, Newcastle city council chief executive Barry Rowland was one of just a few drivers who got caught, and was fined £60.

This is not the first time that a council has left cameras switched off. In 2010, Swindon switched off speed cameras and witnessed a reduction in casualties, which decreased from 327 to 315. Both cases seem to strengthen the argument that many speed cameras are deployed mainly to generate tax revenue, yet this disregard for safety will be a cause for concern for many individuals across the UK.

It has been reported that Newcastle council has been ordered to take action against senior officers who failed to notify either the former Liberal Democrat administration or the new Labour leaders of this judgment. However, for most cities in the UK speed cameras are still implemented to promote road awareness and to punish speeding drivers.

If you're looking for a safe way to avoid these fines, take a look at the Speed camera detectors from Snooper. our databases are constantly updated with the latest changes to the speed camera network and our products will alert you to the presence of speed cameras.

Speed Cameras Switched Off for 4 years

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