Speed cameras return to the headlines

On October 1 The Sun resurrected an old Media Monitor favourite – a front-page story decrying the existence of speed cameras to catch errant motorists.

“The Sun today calls for guidelines on speed cameras to be reinstated — after it emerged they have been quietly scrapped by the Government,” the paper began. “Official rules published eight years ago set out clear instructions to police and councils on how drivers should be properly warned about Gatsos up ahead. Without them cops are free to set up sneaky unmarked traps to snare unwitting driver… But the guidelines have now been axed with no announcement or consultation.”

Alongside its news coverage the paper also published a strongly-worded editorial on the subject of speed cameras. “This is the last straw – the Gatso Gestapo has gone too far,” this began. “It was bad enough [that] speeding motorists were being caught out by cameras hidden in horseboxes and tractors [but] now we learn Government guidelines to prevent such sly tactics were canned. That’s why The Sun is today standing up for Britain’s drivers and calling for cameras to be clearly visible and not hidden by devious means such as behind trees, bushes, bends . . . or in tractors. We also want fixed speed cameras to be painted yellow and be luminous under headlights at night, and for them to be placed only at spots where there is a significant accident rate. Speed cameras were supposed to make our roads safer, to slow us down at an accident blackspot, to stop our children getting killed — not make money from us.

“Up to a third of all speeders are caught by mobile units,” the paper continued. “It is nothing but sneaky, underhand and indefensible. Cameras were supposed to be easily visible, with traffic cops in hi-viz jackets next to a marked police car. That meant if you got caught speeding, you only had yourself to blame. But today speed cameras are nothing but a secret tax on motorists.”

The Sun then quoted AA president Edmund King to the effect that: “If cameras are well signed and stand out they are more likely to cut speeds. That’s a much more open and effective system than hiding in a tractor.”

“Well said,” the paper concluded. “It’s not a fair cop.”

Two days later, however, The Sun turned on King after discovering that he is a director of AA DriveTech, an AA subsidiary that runs speed awareness courses for motorists caught speeding, and has benefited financially as a result, allegedly. “AA president Edmund King has blasted speed cameras as a means of generating revenue – yet still took a share of millions raked in from his organisation’s speed awareness courses,” the paper said. “Mr King lives in a five-bed £1.2m property in St Albans,” it added, for no obvious reason.