August 23, 2010 9.35 am This story is over 163 months old

Hundreds caught by city’s 6 speed cameras

Candid cameras: Lincoln’s six speed cameras caught over 800 motorists speeding in the city, but the numbers are going down.

Over 880 motorists have been caught speeding by Lincoln’s six speed cameras last year, according to figures from Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP).

The number of drivers caught speeding in Lincoln is 40% lower than in 2008, when 1,494 motorists were caught on camera.

In comparison to 2007, the numbers are almost 60% lower, when 2,140 drivers were fined for speeding in Lincoln.

“The number of people caught by speed cameras is low, and indicates it is a small minority who use speed inappropriately,” explained John Siddle of LRSP.

Siddle said he is also expecting the number of speeding motorists in the city to have fallen this year compared with previous years.

A need for speed cameras

“The aim of the speed camera is not to catch people speeding but to act as a deterrent, unfortunately some people will only respond to a deterrent if it is a financial one,” Siddle said. “We strive to reduce speed at sites where there is clear evidence the contributory factor of speed has caused death or serious injury.”

“We recognise that people will brake and slow down at a speed camera and some people will accelerate beyond the speed limit once past, most do not, but by slowing the vehicles down at that site we have reduced the risk to them and other road users and so the camera has played its part.”

“If people drive to the speed limit there would be no need to apply the brakes, if we paid attention, as we all proved we could when passing our driving test, we would see the signage that indicates a speed camera is ahead, and if we all plan our journey there would be no need to exceed the speed limit to ‘catch up time’.”

Photo: Pete L