Speeding offences in Lothians at record low

There was a ten per cent fall in the number of fines issued in the Lothian and Borders area last year, the lowest level since the new cameras were introduced in 2003.

The head of the region's safety camera partnership said today's figures showed that speeding is now considered as dangerous as drink-driving.

But motoring organisations said the wide availability of camera-detecting products in high street stores had also had an impact.

And the new figures were greeted with a warning that the partnership will need more cash in the future if its income from fines continues to fall.

Last year, a total of 34,304 penalties were issued, compared to 37,945 in 2005, at a collective cost to drivers of 2.06 million.

Colin McNeil, safety camera partnership manager, said: "In today's world, the vast majority of law-abiding drivers wouldn't dream of drink-driving and, with a ten per cent drop in offenders, I truly believe that we are on our way to making speeding as equally unacceptable."

Councillor Ricky Henderson, the city's transport leader, added: "The fact that fines have dropped is a positive sign that more people are taking road safety seriously and fewer people are speeding on the city's roads."

New cameras were installed at 17 accident blackspots in the city as part of a 2m initiative in summer 2003 - previously, fewer than 8000 tickets were issued a year.

Neil Greig, head of policy in Scotland for the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) Motoring Trust, said the drop in fines reflected a national trend.

"People are much more aware of speed cameras and where they are," he said. "In the Lothian and Borders region there are a lot of mobile camera sites and people have got used to seeing the vans in the same places."

He said new satellite technology that alerts drivers to camera locations has "also had an impact".

"The key issue for us is not how many fines are issued, but how many lives are saved," he added.

"Although it's good that drivers are clearly slowing down, more than 30,000 people still broke the speed limit last year in the region and put lives at risk."

There are now 61 fixed "Gatso" speed traps in the region, as well as 43 locations regularly monitored by vans with mobile cameras.

The scheme is operated by the Lothian and Borders Safety Camera Partnership - a collaboration between local councils, the police and the Scottish Executive.

A non-profit organisation, it can only spend what it makes from fines and Mr Greig said its funding will need to be reviewed in the future.

"The more successful they are in making people slow down, the less cash they have," he said.

"There are proposals to make all the different partnerships apply for funding from a central pot of money, and that seems very sensible.

"The partnerships have always faced a massive public relations hurdle, because people believe they are there to catch as many people as possible and maximise their income."

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign - which opposes the use of cameras - today claimed motorists have not changed their driving behaviour.

"I think the drop in fines is deliberate management," he said. "The number of fines topped out about three years ago.

"They don't want to issue more fines because the reputation of cameras would not be sustainable."

He added: "Although the locations of fixed speed cameras become familiar to the local population, there are always drivers who are not local and they won't be aware of the cameras.

"Motorists have not changed their behaviour and will always adjust their speeds depending on the circumstances of the road."