Ref. 24416-53Motorists hate them and suspect they are just a way of generating money for the Government. But now the Department of Transport has produced figures to show that many cameras do save lives and cut the risk of serious injury by forcing drivers to slow down. BHAVANI VADDE takes a look at the situation in Swindon

ACCIDENT rates have increased at three Swindon locations since speed cameras were installed.

But the number of people killed or seriously injured at speed camera sites in Wiltshire has fallen by 64 per cent higher then the national rate of 40 per cent.

An independent study has revealed for the first time the number of accidents before and after speed cameras were installed.

And Transport Secretary Alistair Darling has said cameras situated in the wrong place should be moved.

The figures show the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership had better results than other parts of the country with a substantial reduction in accidents in Chiseldon.

Project manager from the partnership, David Frampton, claimed the increases at the three Swindon sites were as a result of motorists speeding up just after a camera site and causing accidents on the same stretch of road.

He said: "We will be enforcing those areas more vigorously.

"We have had no collisions actually at the site of the cameras in the last 12 months.

"Most of us living in the area are aware where the cameras are. It's human nature to slow down just before a camera and then speed up again.

"We will be using mobile cameras to encourage drivers to slow down."

He thinks cameras in Queen's Drive, South Marston and Oxford Road, Stratton, where figures show an increase in accidents, are in the right place and that fixed cameras are slowing drivers down in built up areas.

"That's why we are investing in two new cameras in Queen's Drive and Park Lane," he added.

"We are pleased with the results and that we are reducing the number of people killed or severely injured but we still have a long way to go."

The study, by University College London, showed nationally there were 100 fewer deaths from car smashes last year.

It analysed data for three years before a camera was installed as well as the figures a year afterwards at 5,000 locations in Britain. The figures were then averaged.

Kevin Bolan, data analyst at the partnership, said: "It's only the first year's figures so it's early days to either sing our praises or say we failed.

"We shouldn't read too much into them at this stage."

There are five fixed speed cameras in Swindon, and a further 20 mobile camera sites which cover an area including Swindon, Wootton Bassett, Cricklade and Wroughton.

Two new cameras aimed at catching drivers jumping red lights are due to be installed at Queen's Drive, just east of Magic Roundabout and at the junction of Park Lane and Dean Street, Rodbourne.

Six vans with on-board recording equipment operate in Swindon and the partnership's newest weapon is a Honda 650cc motorcycle equipped with surveillance equipment.

The Government has set the target of reducing road collisions in Swindon and Wiltshire by 40 per cent by 2010.

There are fixed speed cameras at five locations in Swindon.

The latest study analysed data from the three years before a camera was installed as well as the figure for a year afterwards that is from 2002 to 2003.

The accident rates were then averaged.

They show the number of people killed or seriously injured in the area where a camera is located.

The results were as follows:

A420, South Marston: Before cameras 0.3; after the cameras 1

Oxford Road, Stratton: 0.3 and 1

Queen's Drive, Swindon: 0.7 and 2

A346, Chiseldon: 1.7 and 0

Lady Lane/A419, Blunsdon (detects motorists who skip red lights) 0.1 and 0.

The partnership provides information about the location of both permanent and mobile cameras on its website www.safetycameras-wiltshireswindon.co.uk