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The
Money From Speed Cameras
(8th
December, 2003)
Revenue from speed cameras should be spent on boosting the number of traffic police to fight car crime and topple Britain from its position as car crime capital of Europe. Other revenue from cameras should be put back into road safety by improving dangerous junctions and other stretches of road.
The RAC Foundation is today making this call after analysing crime statistics including results of the British Crime Survey - which shows that although theft of vehicles was down four per cent and theft from vehicles was down ten per cent last year, the UK is still top of the European car crime league.
The RAC Foundation believes that some hard-core criminals are getting away with daylight robbery because cameras are increasingly replacing traffic police. Research for the Home Office clearly shows the serious motoring offenders are more likely to be involved in mainstream crime. *
Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation said: "Britain's position as top of the car crime league is all the more shocking when you take into account the fact that all new cars are fitted with immobilisers and 45% are fitted with alarms**. As new cars become more secure thieves target car keys or older vehicles.
"The real answer is more resources to allow police forces to tackle the problems. Millions of pounds are being generated by remote enforcement technology and some of this should be spent on traffic police rather than more cameras. Police should not be diverted from crime or terrorism but the there should be an absolute increase in the number of police devoted to traffic and road safety work. If the objective of the cameras is to improve road safety the rest of the revenue should go into improving dangerous roads. "
The RAC Foundation Car Crime Fact File shows:
* Car crime costs £3.5b to the UK economy and affects 2.5million people pa
* 80% of drivers without a valid tax disc are likely to be involved in some form of criminal activity
* UK is the car crime capital of Europe with 30% of European car crime committed in the UK
* There is an increased accident risk among unlicensed and disqualified drivers. They are between three and nine times more likely to be involved in accidents than lawful drivers
* 75% of vehicle crime offenders have convictions for other types of offences
* 73% of vehicle crime offenders have tested positive for illegal drugs
* VED evasion has increased to 4.5%. This equates to a loss of £193m per annum to government funds from the 1.7m cars that are untaxed.
* 25% of motor-cycles are untaxed
* There are 2.1m vehicles on the road with no registered keeper
* In 2001/2 some 240,000 cars were abandoned
* 25% of fire brigade call outs are associated with abandoned cars
* The cost of clearing away abandoned cars cost local authorities some £7-£12m in 2001
* Uninsured driving imposes substantial costs on legitimate motorists. The cost is estimated at £30-£50 per premium
* There are 34,000 registered number plate suppliers in the UK which makes policing their activity difficult.
* Frustrated car thieves are turning their attention to stealing car keys - rather than tackling sophisticated security devices on vehicles.***
The RAC Foundation has compiled a list of suggested solutions to the country's car crime problem:
* More traffic police to target the "motoring underclass" and dangerous drivers
* January 2004 - DVLA will introduce continuous registration for all vehicles
* £200 fixed penalty for uninsured motorists - the RAC Foundation feels that this was a step in the right direction but the fines are not high enough
* Abandoned vehicles - now nearly 150 local authorities are linked electronically to DVLA making vehicle details available to them
* VED evasion hotline
* Electronic chip number plates - in the future these may help to deter cloning of cars
* ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) - according to Deputy Chief Constable Robert Quick it's the: " future cruise missile of enforcement".
The RAC Foundation believes that more resources should be put back into traffic policing not only to help the reduction in car crime but also to make our roads and neighbourhoods safer.
Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation said: "We applaud the steps that have been taken by the police and vehicle manufacturers to reduce car crime but more can be done. Too many of the motoring underclass in stolen or unregistered cars are going about unchecked. The escalation of speed cameras has not helped to target the hardened criminal. They laugh, as the camera flashes knowing that fewer traffic police are likely to be about.
"All the research clearly shows that the serious motoring offender is more likely to be involved in drugs and mainstream crime. The camera means nothing to the motoring underclass.
"As cars have become harder to steal with their sophisticated immobilisers and security systems, so thieves have concentrated on the easy option - taking the keys. More care from car owners and more police will help to crack this crime further."
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