PC Neil Turner focusses on catching M4 speeders Picture Ref: 76961-25PEOPLE have the same attitude towards speeding as they used to have towards drink driving.

But it is no longer acceptable.

That was the message from former South Swindon MP Julia Drown as new speed camera vans were launched on the M4.

The marked vans will be operating on the Wiltshire section of the motorway, which passes Swindon.

This stretch has seen a big increase in the number of collisions and injuries over the past year, including four fatalities.

The Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership includes police, local authorities, the Highways Agency, the NHS, the Courts Service and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Yesterday they launched a speed enforcement campaign, which will involve seven sites for cameras on motorway bridges in the county.

Casualties on the Wiltshire section of the M4 have risen 24 per cent over the last five years.

Ms Drown said: "During my time as an MP I met too many families who lost somebody because of a speeding car.

"We all race around too much, but nobody wants to be in the position of either a grieving family or the person who didn't have that split second to stop in time because they were driving too fast.

"This issue is like drink driving a few years ago, when it was acceptable. We want to change the culture." She also spoke of the cost to society of speeding.

She said: "The average cost of a high-speed collision is £100,000 which could pay for six heart transplants or 25 hip replacements."

Members of the partnership were quick to counter recent comments by North Wiltshire Conservative candidate James Gray that the cameras were for "politically correct, money making reasons".

Chf Insp Norman McKeaveney, head of roads policing for Wiltshire, said: "This is a real bone of contention, but we don't get any money. It all goes to the Treasury. We then put in a bid and we are allocated a proportion of funds.

"Hopefully, the rest of the money will go towards other road safety initiatives, such as road engineering, accident prevention and awareness campaigns."

Supt Richard Rowland, operations superintendent for Swindon Police division, said: "Speeding enforcement is quite unpopular with the public as it's the offence most people are likely to get caught for, but if we can reduce the figures by one death, this will be worthwhile."

Andrew Howard, head of road safety for the AA, said: "Something has to be done when a length of road is killing so many people.

"Our biggest fear is that 70 per cent of people think it's more about money than safety, and this is the biggest barrier to cultural change.

"That's why we want the cameras to be visible and marked so that when somebody is caught we don't think 'poor chap', we think 'idiot'."

camera spots

8.3km east of J17 Church Lane bridge near Swallett Gate and Sodom

3.1km east of J17 Seagry Road bridge between Upper Seagry and Sutton Benger

8.4km west of J16 bridge between Grittenham and Brinkworth

3km east of J16 Mill Lane bridge

At J15 bridge between Badbury and Liddington

6.9km east of J15 bridge at Peaks Down north of Aldbourne

1.8km west of J15 Broome Manor Lane bridge to Hodson

Dave Andrew