How to miss the speed camera ‘mess’

Helping British motorists avoid being victims of inconsistently operated and administered Speed Cameras is the goal of a revolutionary new series of motorist-friendly road atlases for 2007 being launched today by the best known name in the map business, Philips.

Speed camera expert Stephen Mesquita, who has contributed an exclusive article to the new season’s Phillips atlases entitled 10 Top Tips to Avoid Speeding Penalties, reveals a shocking ‘legacy of inconsistency’ in the way that speed cameras are operated across the UK.

Mesquita criticizes the authorities for putting in place a system that is inconsistently operated and administered and that makes it too easy for the otherwise law-abiding motorist to break the law. There is so much variation from area to area that it is very unlikely that the motorist will receive even treatment across the UK. He also says that no less than two million people in the year to April 2005 alone - have been the victims of speed cameras.

"The whole thing is a complete mess and is in need of a radical shake-up", says Stephen Mesquita. "Speed cameras that save lives are of course a good thing. But what we have now is a system that is hard to understand, inconsistently operated and which turns too many otherwise law-abiding motorists into law-breakers. In turn that alienates the police from the motorist. It’s not a good situation".

For long the standard choice for professional road users, including many emergency services, the new season’s Philips atlases take the printed road map into a new dimension.

For the first time, the position of every* speed camera is clearly marked and Stephen Mesquita’s exclusive article gives advice on how to be extra vigilant in the most camera-infested counties:

1) The West Midlands wins the doubtful accolade of having the highest number of fixed speed cameras per person of population (one for every 10,600) whilst Northumbria has the lowest, with only one to every 59,200. But that didn’t stop Northumbria raising over £3 per person in fines.

2) The amount raised in fixed penalty notices in England varies hugely - between £6.36 per person of population in Bedfordshire to just £0.97 per person in Greater Manchester. By region, Wales raised £3.25 per person of population against £1.20 in London.

3) The same exercise for all cameras (fixed and mobile sites) is impossible because of the inconsistent treatment of mobile sites on safety camera websites - but on the data available, Wales again comes off worst and London best. "Unfortunately each area has done its own thing on their web sites", says Mr Mesquita. "They are meant to publicise the locations where mobile cameras are used but there is no common standard - and the Department for Transport website is two years out of date!"

*correct at time of going to press

4) There is more to confuse the motorist - there is no consistent rule on how fast over the speed limit you can drive before being prosecuted and the police are not obliged to reveal this, even under the Freedom of Information Act.

5) And this problem is further compounded in areas where the speed limit changes frequently and for no apparent reason. "This penalises the person driving in an unfamiliar area", says Mr Mesquita.

6) There are also major inconsistencies in the way in which fines are raised. "Some areas convert 100% of Notices of Intended Prosecution to Fixed Penalty Notices; others manage less than 50%. In West Yorkshire only 53% of Fixed Penalty Notices are paid whereas many counties achieve over 90%. This either means that motorists in some areas are taking their cases to court in much greater numbers or that the Fixed Penalties are not being sent out or not being collected", he said.

7) The Philips atlas article also recommends a change of sex for male drivers - men are four times more likely to receive points on their licence for speeding as women!

The Top Ten Tips include (aside from that sex change advice!) chapters with headings such as:

Beware 30 and 40 mph limits
Stick to B roads and motorways
Learn to tell your Gatso from your Digital Specs
Avoid the points by going back to school

The Philips 2007 Road Atlases are available in all good bookstores from early July and cost from £10.99 to £12.99 depending upon size and format. All utilise crystal clear digital mapping technology offering the clearest picture of British roads – and speed cameras!