West Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership Launch New Deployment Strategy

Alison Lowe, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said:

“We all have a part to play in making our roads safer, both the authorities and the road users.

“That is why we have set up a West Yorkshire-wide Vision Zero Board to reduce, and hopefully eliminate, road deaths and serious injuries. The Mayor and I fully support this approach as one death on our roads is one death too many.

“We know, through the surveys my office runs, that road safety is a key issue for residents. We are committed to tackling and educating people around the Fatal Five, which are careless driving, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile phone and speeding.

“All of us have a responsibility to make our roads safer and avoid the misery and devastation that any one of the Fatal Five can cause, and we can only tackle this successfully together.”

Video - Paul Jeffrey - West Yorkshire Police lead for the West Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership

Paul Jeffrey, West Yorkshire Police lead for the West Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership, said:

“Over recent years I believe there has been a change in public opinion around issues such as drink driving and seatbelt use, but unfortunately some people still have a mindset that it is okay to speed.

“The reality is that every day our officers and the NHS see the devastating impact of people driving at excessive and inappropriate speeds. These changes will ensure that safety cameras are used more effectively to encourage safe driver behaviour, prevent crashes, and save lives.

“Last year we had to tell over 60 families that their loved ones were not coming home. We often hear the line, ‘go and catch some real criminals’ and in response to that I reaffirm our commitment to preventing deaths and injuries by deterring people from speeding.

“Where appropriate we will provide driver re-training opportunities as an alternative to prosecution, with the more serious or persistent offenders being referred to court. Our aim is to intervene before speeders must face the consequences of killing or injuring someone on our roads.

“Our commitment to Vision Zero is all about influencing driver behaviour and reducing exposure to speed related risks. No-one should die or be seriously injured on the roads. Inappropriate and excessive speed leads to deaths and injuries which are often preventable.”

Video - Ian Greenwood

As part of the launch of these new changes, a video has been filmed with Ian Greenwood, whose 12-year-old daughter Alice died because of a speeding driver.

Ian said:

“People say to me, road crashes are inevitable and there’s nothing we can do to stop them. I tell them they are wrong, and this is a great example of what can be done.

“Most people are law abiding, but my message is to those who take an unnecessary risk and don’t think about the consequences. The result of the speeding driver was a dead 12-year-old with a broken neck, and he also managed to kill himself and his passenger. It was all totally avoidable.

“If you disagree with speed cameras, my message is simple, drive safely and you don’t need to worry. If the driver who caused Alice’s death had done so, she would still be with us.”

Vision Zero Strategy Images