Guidance

Department for Transport note on the requirement for publishing information relating to speed cameras

Published 26 June 2011

The Department has accepted the advice of the report (dated 5th April 2011) of a working group about the publication of information related to speed cameras except in a few respects related to offence data (specifically parts of paragraphs 4.3, 4.5, 4.6 and 6.2).

In relation to offence data, the Department considers there is a strong justification in terms of public transparency and accountability to publish this information site by site for fixed camera sites. There has been further dialogue with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), whose roads policing lead has confirmed support for moving to a position where site-specific data is released with a review after six months.

Therefore the Department requires English highway authorities[footnote 1] to either publish or ensure publication of site by site casualty, collision and speed information for permanent fixed camera sites.

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. The Department is making a standard template available for local authorities to use if they wish. Section 3 of the working group’s report contains further details.

The Department will set up a central hub providing links to local websites where this information would be housed. Local authorities should publish information up to 2010 as soon as practical and inform the Department (at road.safety@dft.gsi.gov.uk) by 20th July of the web address for their information.

Local authorities which support camera enforcement financially should also ensure that a deployment strategy is published. Section 5 of the working group’s report contains further details.

Annual totals of the numbers of cases taken forward to prosecution or education are to be published by police forces (or other organisations on their behalf) site by site for permanent and long term (more than six months) temporary fixed speed camera sites.

  1. Transport for London in respect of London. 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.