§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice is issued to police forces about the siting of speed cameras, with particular reference to those which are not accompanied by warning signs; and what proportion of speed cameras do not have accompanying warning signs. [56553]
§ Mr. BoatengGuidance on the siting of speed cameras has been issued to chief constables in the Home Office Circular: "The Use of Automatic Detection Devices for Road Traffic Law Enforcement (38/1992)" and to highway authorities in the then Department of Transport Circular: "Use of Technology for Traffic Enforcement: Guidance on Deployment (Roads 1/92)". Further guidance on camera signing has been issued to highway authorities in the then Department of Transport Circular: "Traffic Signal and Speed Camera Signing (Roads 1/95)". Copies of these documents have been placed in the Library.
Decisions on the siting of fixed speed cameras and the provision of warning signs are for local highway authorities to determine, in consultation with chief officers of police. The devices are deployed at accident hotspots or in areas where excessive speed is known to contribute to dangerous driving conditions. The provision of camera warning signs is recommended but is not mandatory. They are intended to identify the presence of cameras within a particular area rather than individual sites, as that would restrict the effect of the cameras to those sites.
Details of the proportion of speed cameras which are not accompanied by warning signs are not recorded centrally.