Number of prosecutions by A127 Average Speed (SPECS) cameras

Good Morning,

Thank you for your request for information, which was received by
Essex County Council on 17th August 2009.   

We will determine and let you know whether we hold the information
you have requested and consider whether it is exempt from
disclosure. 

Under certain circumstances we may charge for providing
information, but we will let you know before we do any work that
would incur a charge.

Your request is covered by the Freedom of Information Act under
which we must respond within 20 working days – 14th September 2009.

Kind regards,

Miss Elaine Appleby Senior Road Safety Officer Communications and
Business Liaison

Essex County Council Environment, Sustainability & Highways
Highways Management E3 County Hall Chelmsford Essex CM1 1QH

C. Chapman [FOI #17089 email]

ECC FOI Ref: 645 4th September 2009

Dear Sir/Madam, Thank you for your request for information, which
was received by Essex County Council on 17th August 2009. Your
request is covered by the Freedom of Information Act, under which
we must respond within 20 working days.

The information requested was; Please could you advise the number
of successful prosecutions made by the newly installed Average
Speed Cameras (SPECS) on the A127, broken down by carriageway
direction?

In accordance with section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act
2000 (FOIA), this part of my response serves as a formal
notification of refusal of your request on the basis that the
exemptions given at sections 31 (Law Enforcement) and 38 (Health
and Safety) apply to the information you seek access to. In
applying these exemptions Essex County Council is obliged to
consider the public interest in the release of this information.
Accordingly, the following public interest test has been carried
out:

Harm - The information you seek access to relates to a specific
safety camera scheme. There is a danger in releasing site or scheme
specific data as to do so could provide information about working
practices that if known could have an impact on operational
policing.

Not all camera sites/schemes will be active all of the time – some
sites/cameras will be active on a rotational basis. If information
concerning specific camera site is released it could give the
impression that the chances of being recorded speeding in
particular locations was low, which may encourage higher speeds and
hence casualties at those locations. For camera enforcement to be
truly effective there must be the perception that the chances of
being recorded are high at all sites.

In Favour of Disclosure  Awareness - this information could
assist individuals in gaining an understanding of road safety in
areas where cameras are located. This would therefore help them
gain awareness regarding road safety issues.  Accountability- Road
Safety Partnerships should be accountable for the decisions they
make in relation to camera sites and schemes.

Against Disclosure  Exemption applies - It is in the interest of
the public that our roads are kept safe. The ability for safety
camera technology to impact on road safety would be diminished by
the disclosure of such information and therefore prejudice law
enforcement.  Efficient and Effective Conduct of Road Safety
Partnership activities - The aim of such partnerships is to make
roads safer by encouraging people to keep within the speed limits,
hence reducing speeds, reducing collisions and, consequently,
reducing the number of people killed and injured. The consequence
of the release of this information would be to compromise this aim.

It is considered that the public interest in disclosing the review
which contains site/scheme specific enforcement data at this level
is outweighed by the potential consequences to law enforcement and
the impact of such a release on road safety measures.

In August 2009, Essex County Council released a report containing
information regarding the number of First-Time Notices of Intended
Prosecution (NIPs) issued to the vehicles registered keepers since
the camera system became operational on 7th April 2009. This number
of NIPs is averaging at around 40 per week with a total of 604
issued.

It is not possible to state how many of these have resulted in
fines or prosecutions as it can take up to six months for this to
be determined.

You can view the full report on the Essex Casualty Reduction Boards
website – www.drivingcasualtiesdown.org (A127 article on the home
page).

For further information with regard to safety cameras or road
safety issues you may wish to visit the website at:
http://www.drivingcasualtiesdown.org/ind...

Amongst other useful information, you will find the locations of
fixed, mobile and red light cameras in the Essex area in addition
to information regarding the average speed camera schemes.

You may reuse all or part of this information free of charge in any
format or medium. You must reuse it accurately and not in a
misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Essex
County Council copyright and you must give the title of the source
document/publication.

Please contact me if you would like further advice or assistance
about your request or rights to access information held by Essex
County Council.

If you are not satisfied with my response to your request, please
let me know. If I am unable to resolve the issue immediately, I
will explain our complaints procedure.

If, after following our complaints procedure, you are still not
satisfied, you are entitled to ask the Information Commissioner to
review our decision. You can contact him at Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Telephone no: 01625 545700.

Yours sincerely, Miss E. Appleby Senior Road Safety Officer -
Communications

Tel: 01245 437004 / Email: [email address]