GOVERNMENT ROAD SAFETY DATA “BLATANT DISHONESTY”, SAYS IDRIS FRANCIS.
The public is invited to the November meeting of Bristol Advanced Motorists when the speaker for the evening will be Idris Francis B.Sc. F IoD, the well known campaigner for the removal of speed cameras across the UK.
Following a charge in March 2003 for speeding on the A325 in Hampshire in his 1938 Alvis Speed 25, in which he was caught on camera doing 47mph in a 30mph zone, Mr Francis was convicted for failing to sign the notice served on him for speeding.
He challenged the case in the European Court of Human Rights. “The law on the roadside cameras breaches my right to silence under the human rights convention. Vehicle owners are required to disclose who was behind the wheel at the time the photograph was taken, thereby incriminating themselves,” said Mr Francis who refused to reveal who was driving and was subsequently prosecuted under the Road Traffic Act.
“It was only when I started to look at casualty trends, in connection with the Government's likely claim of justification, that I realised what a can of worms road safety policy, data, analysis and claims really is - with levels of incompetence and blatant dishonesty worse than I could ever have imagined,” he said.
Using the Governments own figures his talk will show that;
1. Casualty trends, far from improving in the speed camera era, deteriorated sharply to become the worst we have ever known.
2. Claims for accident reduction far exceed the proportion ever due to speeding in the first place and are therefore inevitably bogus.
3. The DfT have refused to acknowledge, let alone quantify, more than 30 known adverse effects of cameras that collectively must cause more problems than cameras could ever solve.
4. As Transcom have recently admitted, the continuing falls in official Stats 19 numbers are purious, because hospital, fire and rescue and insurance claims show increases.
5. Government KSI targets for 2010 cannot remotely be met, as Transcom now admit.
6. Vehicle activated signs are of similar effectiveness as cameras, but at a tiny fraction of the cost and without needing to penalise drivers and without their adverse effects.
Entrance to meetings is FREE and everyone is welcome
Refreshments will be available as usual.
This is an opportunity to mix and mingle and find out more about Advanced Driving.
For further information on this meeting and the Institute Advanced Motorists Tel: 07071 201173.
