FAQ

Where can I find out where the fixed safety camera sites are in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough?

Information from the Safety Camera Unit of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary

Collisions occur due to a number of reasons, injuries and death occurs when the trauma of a collision damages the bodies of those involved. Trauma can be reduced if vehicles are travelling slower before impact.

Therefore the slower vehicles are going the fewer traumas occur leading to reduced injuries and death.

Speed limits are set by local authorities and in the case of class of vehicle by government. These limit are not targets but are considered safe limits in ideal conditions.

The safety camera partnership uses speed detection devices to enforce speed limits. It also uses its camera signing to warn drivers that some areas have a history of people being killed and seriously injured and those areas will have their speed limits enforced.

Signing of routes and site locations are to warn drivers an area has a history of collisions they are not there to prove speeding offences in a court of law.

Speeding is an absolute offence and requires no warning signs before enforcement. Some drivers who speed at lower levels will be offered an education course rather than prosecution. Other drivers maybe offered conditional fixed penalty tickets and others maybe summonsed directly to a magistrates court. The decision as to how an offence is dealt with is at the discretion of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

All fines generated by speeding drivers are paid to the courts system and government. The safety camera partnership do not measure revenue and receive no funding from fines. We would rather drivers slow down reducing risks than be fined. We will however prosecute all those drivers who cannot recognise speed limits and drive accordingly.

If you receive a notice of intended prosecution our FAQ sheet will help you complete it.

Remember should you try to avoid your responsibilities as a registered keeper of a vehicle or driver by lying you will be investigated for attempting to perverting the course of justice and may receive a term of imprisonment.

General Answers from the Safety Camera Unit

01 - I have received a Notice of Intended Prosecution. What happens now?

You need to complete and sign Part 1 of the notice if you were the driver at the time of the offence. If you were not the driver please complete the relevant section. Please return the notice to the Safety Camera Unit as soon as possible. At this point DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY OR YOUR DRIVING LICENCE. You will then receive either an offer of a speed awareness course, a ‘conditional offer’ of a fixed penalty notice – or if your speed is excessive a summons from the Magistrate’s Court.

02 - What is a conditional offer?

This gives you the opportunity of settling the matter without having to go to court. The fine is £60 and you will also have three penalty points added to your driving licence. Please remember – you will be required to produce your driving licence and it is your responsibility to ensure that it is current and valid. If the address on your licence is out of date you should still send it with your payment

03 - How long will the penalty points stay on my licence?

Penalty points are valid for a period of three years but cannot be removed from your licence until four years have elapsed.

04 - My driving licence is at the DVLA / has been lost / has been stolen. What can I do?

Please contact the Safety Camera Unit immediately on 01480 422525. If your licence has been stolen you will need to quote a crime reference number so report it before ringing us. If necessary we can suspend prosecution for a short period to allow the licence to be renewed. Failure to do this may result in a summons being initiated.

05 - Can I have a higher fine and no points?

No. The fixed penalty amount is set by the Government within the road traffic legislation and is, therefore, not negotiable.

06 - Can I challenge the notice of intended prosecution?

You have the right to challenge this in court. The Magistrates will then determine any fine and penalty points awarded. You are reminded that the courts have the right to increase the fine and penalty points awarded if they see fit. You may also be ordered to pay court costs.

07- What if I decide to take the matter to court?

You should allow the 28 day conditional offer period to elapse. A summons will then be issued to you. On this summons you will be given the opportunity to write any mitigating circumstance you would like the Magistrate to consider.

08 - There is a mistake on the notice. Does this mean that I can refuse to pay?

Errors in date, time, vehicle registration number or speed, which are caused by clerical error, will not invalidate the notice. The notice will be amended and re-issued.

09 - Are my human rights infringed if I reply to this paperwork?

Your human rights are not affected by completing and returning the paperwork. In addition, Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 requires the keeper of a vehicle to provide the information on who was driving when the offence was committed. Failure to supply these details, or sign the form, will render you liable for prosecution.

10 - How can you prove that the camera is accurate?

All equipment is tested and operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions on every occasion it is used. A calibration certificate is renewed annually in accordance with Home Office regulations. This forms part of police evidence and will only be produced in court after a not guilty plea.

11 - I was travelling through roadworks at night when no work was taking place. Why was I caught?

All speed limits are mandatory 24 hours a day, every day of the year. At night you could encounter shift workers walking home, people walking their dogs, cars broken down or unknown, dangerous driving conditions.

12 - How was I supposed to know I was in a 30 mph area, I did not see any speed limit signs?

The Highway Code clearly states that, in an area with a system of street lighting, the 30 mph limit applies to all traffic unless signs show otherwise.

13 - I couldn’t stop safely for the red light because the vehicle behind me was too close and I might have caused an accident. Why should I be fined?

The view captured on camera can prove whether or not there was a following vehicle. However, whatever the situation, you have the responsibility to ensure that you always drive at an appropriate speed in anticipation of a traffic light change.

14 - I have been told that there is no requirement to sign the Notice of Intended Prosecution

It is easy for advisors to give advice they are not going to be prosecuted. Anyone refusing to sign, or supply full details on the Notice of Intended Prosecution, will be prosecuted.

15 - I’m not sure who was driving at the time of the offence, what can I do?

It is the responsibility of the registered keeper to provide the full name and address of the driver at the time of the offence. Failure to provide this information will result in a court summons.

16 - Does the camera work at night or in the dark?

Yes. We have the capability to operate in poor light and in the dark. The camera has a low-level flash in order to illuminate the number plate. This flash is no more powerful than a car headlight. All fixed site cameras have a built-in flash that operates day and night.

17- Is there any evidence that speed cameras work?

The short answer is yes. If you slow down you reduce risks of serious injury and death. Cameras when traffic slow for them reduces speed therefore reduce risks. Collision data at sites confirm this.

18 - What has been the public’s reaction to the introduction of cameras?

Contrary to popular belief, public attitude surveys across the country show that around 80% of those asked believe cameras are meant to encourage drivers to keep the limits rather than punish them and 70% believe that fewer collisions are likely to happen on roads where cameras are used

19 - What is the true cost of speeding?

A Parliamentary select committee has just reported that injury crashes are costing £17 billion every year. They estimated that a one third reduction in these crashes could save up to £10 million every week. Think what that money could do for the Health Service.

20 - Is the introduction of more ‘safety cameras’ (speed and red light cameras) just another stealth tax for motorists?

No. Fines go to the government but a tax is something all citizens must pay. The only people who will be subject to speeding fines will be those that break the law. Evidence from the pilots and an earlier study on camera effectiveness (Home Office, PRG police research series paper 20), is that casualties have reduced significantly both at camera sites and in the areas where cameras have been placed.

21 - Is this not another example of “bashing” the motorist?

On the contrary this will be of benefit to all people, including motorists. Cameras already shown to save lives – more effective, targeted use of cameras will save even more lives, many of which will be motorists. The only motorists who will suffer are those who break the law by speeding. Avoid cameras by driving within speed limits.

22- Will the system mean the police will adopt a policy of “zero tolerance”?

Yes if you are found speeding on camera you will be considered for prosecution. Compliance of the legal speed limit is essential to reduce casualties. In 1996 NRPS (National Road Policing Strategy) set as an aim and objective to ‘contribute to the reduction of death or injury, damage or fear on our roads’. Casualty reduction is therefore at the heart of core policing activities.

23 - Isn’t this just a measure to generate revenue for the police?

No. All fines go to Government. We do not even measure the revenue generated as that is not relevant. We are here to prosecute drivers who do not slow down.

24 - Why is the government so concerned about speed when deaths on the road have fallen so sharply over the last 30 years?

Success at tackling other road safety issues such as drink/driving and the fitting and wearing of seatbelts have contributed enormously to reducing road deaths. In more recent years the use of speed reducing measures such as road humps and the creation of 20mph zones have resulted in a reduction in casualties. But we need to continue to tackle excessive speed and the use of cameras has shown that they will remain important at continuing the downward trend in casualties.

25 - Why are there so many speed cameras on motorways yet few outside schools?

There aren’t. Apart from the motorway variable speed limit schemes, there are few cameras on motorways. Cameras are generally only effective at specific sites and school safety requires a greater zonal effect, although some may be present outside schools where local authorities and police have judged it necessary.

26- Why paint cameras yellow?

For two reasons – First, fixed cameras are placed at sites where collisions most frequently occur, largely due to excessive speed. Drivers are more likely to slow down and therefore reduce the risk of collision if they are fully aware of the presence of a camera.

Second, drivers are more likely to respect the concept of enforcement by speed camera if they feel the enforcement is fair and open but of course we are fair and open – speed and we will prosecute you.

27 - Surely making the camera so distinct will result in drivers slowing down for the cameras, then speeding up elsewhere thus increasing the risk of accident transference?

We recognise that camera surfing occurs with some motorists but the areas that have piloted the new funding system have shown that the increased use of fixed and mobile camera enforcement has influenced driver behaviour locally so that drivers comply more readily with speed limits. There is no reason why making fixed site cameras yellow should affect behaviour elsewhere.

28 - What has been the public reaction to speed cameras?

Public attitude surveys conducted in the pilot areas as part of the required monitoring show that around 80% of those asked believe cameras are meant to encourage drivers to keep to limits rather than to punish drivers, and nearly 70% believe that cameras result in dangerous drivers being more likely to get caught. Similarly nearly 70% believe that fewer accidents are likely to happen on roads where cameras are installed.

29 - Wouldn’t it be better to educate bad drivers?

Education and better driver training form important elements of effective speed management. See our Speed Awareness Course. However, proper enforcement of speed limits is also vital and cameras play an important role in enforcing limits. Drivers are trained when learning to drive; they also read the Highway Code so should know what speed limits apply and what class of vehicle they are using. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

SLOW DOWN STAY SAFE