Jo Coles - York and North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime

Jo Coles - North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime

08 April 2014: 761.2013-14 – Freedom of information request – Mobile Safety Camera Vans

Request

I am sorry but I still fail to see how these speed enforcement vans prevent accidents, they locate themselves in places where they are certain to raise revenue and in locations where it could be argued that in the majority of cases it is possible that the speed limit is too low. In areas where there is a 30 or 40 mile an hour limit but minimal danger to any other road users or pedestrians. Where is the evidence from the specific locations that there was an accident blackspot and that the cause was speed rather than poor road design! Why do these vans not sit in the middle of town centres why are they not there at 5am or 2am!? Or on motorways? What is the revenue raised being spent on? Is it been spent on road improvements what about pedestrians and cyclists improving their viability both during the day and night.

Some of these country roads should have weight restrictions on them. When and how often now are weight restrictions on country roads enforced? Why is it not possible to fit vehicles with a device to limit speed so that they are unable to break the speed limit for a chosen piece of road then no speeds would be broken – but would there be no accidents? However there would be no revenue from speeding fines!.

On a weekly basis we have to pick litter discarded by car drivers why is it ok to do this? In towns someone gets paid to pick it up. Fridges/freezers/builders rubble/garden and clipping waste are also dumped on a regular basis close to where we live.

Please can I have a full breakdown of the speeding revenues raised and what they are being spent on to date and please can I have the evidence that they have prevented accidents in the areas that they have been deployed in, in Ryedale? Under the freedom of information Act you can provide me with this information. For your information I have not been fined for exceeding the speed limit by any of your mobile units.

Response

Response

From your request, I have identified that you are requesting the following specific recorded information:

  1. A breakdown of the speeding revenues raised to date.
  2. A breakdown of what the speeding revenues raised to date have been spent on.
  3. Evidence that the safety camera vans have prevented accidents in the areas they have been deployed in, in Ryedale.

Searches have been carried out within the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire. Recorded information is held in response to some parts of your request.

Question 1

The safety camera vans were introduced in North Yorkshire in July 2011. The following link will take you to the page where the results of the pilot are published, where the number of violations and outcomes are recorded:

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/10947

The following link will take you to the page where the Deployment and Results data is recorded and published:

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=10772&p=0

On these two web pages you can view the number of the types of outcomes, and the fine that those outcomes attract.

Question 2

Decision Notice 06/2012 contains details of how the revenues generated by the Safety Camera Vans will be applied, namely towards wider road safety initiatives. The Decision Notice can be accessed via the following link:
https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/decision-notices/062012-safety-camera-van-use-levies-media-profile/

Question 3

Recorded information specifically relating to the prevention of accidents in Ryedale is not held, however, the information published via the following link gives an overview of the reduction in fatal and serious injury collisions where speed is a contributory factor, since the introduction of the safety camera vans http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/safetycamera

For specific collision statistics you may wish to contact 95 Alive, the York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership. The contact details for 95 Alive are available via the following link: http://www.roadwise.co.uk/contact-us/

Information that is already published

In response to your request for information, I have provided you with links to information that is already published. I have not provided you with a separate copy of this information as I am exempt from doing so under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act, as the information is reasonably accessible by other means. Section 21 is a class based absolute exemption which does not require consideration of the harm or public interest when applying this exemption.

Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) requires the Commissioner when refusing to provide information because the information is exempt, to provide the applicant with a notice which: (a) states the fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states (if it would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

Pursuant to Section 17(1) of the Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice in relation to the exempted parts of your request.

Complaint Rights

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet which details your right of complaint.