One in four speed cameras put out of action by county vandals
MORE than a quarter of all fixed speed cameras in Lincolnshire are currently out of action because of vandalism, the Echo can reveal today.
Operator Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership warned that lives are at risk because 15 of the 52 operational cameras in the county have been set on fire or damaged in other ways.
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The Echo has now learned that a digital upgrade of damaged cameras is on hold pending the outcome of the Government's spending review next month.
Continued monitoring at the sites where cameras are inoperative suggests speeds have increased, officials say.
A camera at the A15 Metheringham southbound was torched in April. The number of vehicles driving above the 60mph speed limit per day rocketed from 10 in December 2007 to 2,769 in August.
A camera on the A15 at Atterby, near Market Rasen, was set on fire in April. The average number of speeding vehicles daily increased from five in June 2008 to 1,432 last month.
Greville Burgess, principal road safety co-ordinator of the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, said: "The damage to speed cameras is a criminal act and the people responsible are endangering lives.
"The evidence suggests that when cameras aren't operating, drivers have a tendency to increase their speed, putting them in inherent danger.
"Any deliberate act of damage against speed cameras is not only criminal, but is potentially life-threatening."
The partnership has said it can still operate its speed camera sites, despite Government cuts.
Retired engineer John Bishop, 73, and other North Hykeham residents have succeeded in getting a speed camera van to monitor speed in Meadow Lane, near the junction of Sharp Walk.
He said: "We would ideally like a fixed camera site here.
"I don't think speed cameras are put in willy-nilly.
"They are put in at specific locations where accidents and speed have been problems."
There were 52 fatalities on the county's roads last year. Each costs the economy £1.7 million in emergency services' response, healthcare, investigation and the loss of what the deceased would spend during their lifetime.
In 1999 and in 2003, the road death toll was 104.
So far this year, 33 people have been killed on the county's roads.
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by Barry,Lincoln, LINCOLN
Friday, October 01 2010, 11:38AM
“Simple solution is to allow percentage increase in speed while not much traffic about.eg.late at night/etc.Better still scrap the lot and put more police visibly available to cover speeding etc.Also get rid of any expensive bodies involved with the cameras,saving more money.”
by Shep, Lincoln
Monday, September 27 2010, 4:10PM
“If you get snapped by a fixed site speed camera then you're a plum. Their locations are well posted and, just in case, they are painted bright yellow.
I'm in favour of them. They do nothing to reduce accidents (which is a shame), however, they collect money from idiots and it gets redistributed from the public purse. What's not to like?”
by Mark, Sturton
Sunday, September 26 2010, 10:47PM
“I kept seeing signs saying, Vote for Change, Vote Conservative, and we still got Ed Leigh. Ha, some change.”
by anon, lincoln
Sunday, September 26 2010, 8:33PM
“It¿s pathetic to see people argue for the removal of speed cameras. After all, they are in a majority of cases probably set slightly higher than the speed limit anyway and yet still the complaints come in. Why do so many people have a problem with observing the speed limit all of the time anyway? The issue for me is that there are not enough cameras and especially ones for jumping red lights to catch those such as the blue Ford Ka that sped through the lights at the bottom of Pelham Bridge last Friday morning with pedestrians waiting at the crossing. The real problem is that there is not enough patience and too much aggression and an ¿I know better attitude¿ with a lot of drivers.”
by js, Lincoln
Sunday, September 26 2010, 4:17PM
“Mark - "The speed limit is set to the appropriate level for the type of road, usage etc."
So why don't they change according to conditions, time of day, light, dark etc? I mean, it's not like it ever rains around here....”
by anon, Lincoln
Sunday, September 26 2010, 1:19PM
“Lol you've got to love the hypocrisy. Don't worry of course speeding is fine, it's only unlawful because 'the man's' trying to bring you down'. I know people who do so occassionally but I can respect them because at least they don't lie to themelves about the laws of motion.”
by Kevin, Lincoln
Sunday, September 26 2010, 12:41PM
“If people believe speed limits are too low, they should campaign to get them increased. Don't blame the speed cameras - they're just enforcing the law as it stands. If you don't like the law - get it changed!
Personally, I don't like the law that says I can't scratch up any car that is parked on a footpath - but I still obey it.
You can't pick and choose which laws you're going to obey.”
by John Bishop, Hykeham
Sunday, September 26 2010, 12:16PM
“So everybody wants to speed i.e. go at whatever speed they feel like, then why not? You could start by a petition to present to the government or better still start your own party ¿Free Speed Britain¿ by the way some of you talking you should get a majority government come next election. Borrow 100s of billions of pounds to build lots and lots of roads, ban all none car traffic from using them and live happily ever after in cloud kuku land.
There is another alternative way as well, let¿s dismantle all the fixed speed cameras. (Now you didn¿t expect me to say that did you)? Replace them with satellite cameras (the technology is available now) and with so many people¿s love for speeding it would pay for itself in no time. On the other hand everybody could just stay within the law.”
by Steve, Saxilby
Sunday, September 26 2010, 12:45AM
“Mark, Sturton. Presumably you didn¿t vote Tory or Lib dem?”
by Ben, Lincoln
Sunday, September 26 2010, 12:04AM
“One in four speed cameras put out of action by county vandals
Good.”