“wheres Rams Fan?”

“What Robert says isn't really true for Derby. The CREST partnership looks after the cameras and any work the council does is reimbursed. If the council puts flashing speed signs in then they will be funded by the council so to suggest that local authorities are looking for cheaper options is definitely wrong - the cameras don't cost them anything.”

“Flashing signs encourage responsible people to drive safely for the benefit of the common good. A speed camera does not inform anyone that they may be speeding .. it just collects money from those who break the law. Who gives a jot whether or not the law is broken - the issue is one of persuading drivers to slow down, NOT one of ringing the till up a month later.”

“In addition to the other comment from "Me, somewhere" who is largely correct, the original letter is wrong as speed cameras aren't self financing.

The money raised in fines goes directly to the treasury not to the police for or council that installed in. Some money then comes back to the local authority in forms of grants.

Speed cameras cost an astronomical amount of money to install, maintain themselves quite aside from the costs of issuing the fines and administration.

This funding arrangement was put in place several years ago by the previous government when the speed camera partnerships were dissolved. The only change that has happened since is the the new government has scrapped funding for new fixed speed cameras and reduced the amount of money it gives out in grants.

Therefore local authorities are looking for cheaper and more cost effective ways of doing things, with flashing warning signs being one of them.

So while both sides have valid points, but the concept that speed cameras are self funding simply isn't accurate.”

“I wonder where you've read research that speed cameras are more effective than flashing signs. Many councils say differently.
Flashing signs encourage people to slow down at the point when they are speeding, speed camera just provide an unpleasant letter sometime later. If you want to stop people speeding at the time they are actually doing it, thus preventing the accident they may be about to cause flashing signs are the answer. It's quite easy to miss a change of speed limit and/or a camera if you're concentrating on the road rather than the street signs (especially if the hedges and trees haven't been cut back for a while) but the visual impact of the flashing sign is significantly stronger, thus more likely to be seen and responded to.”