New transparency rules for speed cameras

27 June 2011

Full information about speed cameras will be published by local authorities and the police for the first time.

Further to the Government's commitment to increase transparency the Government is requiring local authorities to publish information about the impact and use of speed cameras

Figures showing the numbers of accidents and casualties at camera sites - both before and after cameras were installed - will be published by local authorities. And police forces will publish the number of speeding prosecutions arising from each camera in their area, as well as force-wide information about whether offenders are fined, complete a speed awareness course or are taken to court.

English highway authorities are required to either publish or ensure publication of site by site casualty, collision and speed information for permanent fixed camera sites as soon as practical, and should provide the website address to the Department by 20th July.

The information should usually include annual collision and casualty data back to 1990 for the numbers of killed and seriously injured people and for all personal injuries. Local authorities which support camera enforcement financially should also ensure that a deployment strategy is published.

The Department will set up a central hub providing links to local websites where the information is published.
The Highways Agency will publish site by site casualty, collision and speed information for permanent fixed camera sites on its network or provide links to where such sites are being included in what local authorities are publishing.

Police forces are to publish the number of prosecutions arising from each permanent or long term temporary fixed camera site in their area each year, along with the total number of offences recorded by all cameras and the total numbers of offenders given a fixed penalty notice, or taken to court and the numbers of people opting to complete speed awareness courses.

The Department for Transport set up a working group to advise on the publication of speed camera information. The group's report is published here.