Find me a Cash Cow
I came across the below set of figures recently. Just have a quick scan through & see if you can guess what the figures represent. Notice that most forces’ figure has risen in the last 10 years (that figures were available) while only a small number have gone down.
| Force | 1997 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|
| Avon & Somerset | £291,760 | £3,156,360 |
| Bedfordshire | £348,000 | £2,904,420 |
| Cambridgeshire | £593,480 | £1,230,120 |
| Cheshire | £431,400 | £1,714,200 |
| Cleveland | £129,560 | £1,142,640 |
| Cumbria | £195,280 | £1,921,380 |
| Derbyshire | £697,520 | 1,187,840 |
| Devon & Cornwall | £2,446,000 | £2,549,220 |
| Dorset | £446,880 | £3,095,940 |
| Durham | £128,520 | £169,020 |
| Essex | £1,844,920 | £3,642,300 |
| Gloucestershire | £250,400 | £804,360 |
| Greater Manchester | £2,195,760 | £3,616,920 |
| Hampshire | £1,098,400 | £2,964,240 |
| Hertfordshire | £704,160 | £4,908,300 |
| Humberside | £389,400 | £2,203,080 |
| Kent | £1,148,240 | £2,830,740 |
| Lancashire | £952,520 | £3,471,480 |
| Leicestershire | £232,480 | £1,476,360 |
| Lincolnshire | £263,520 | £1,545,000 |
| City of London | £20,800 | £365,340 |
| Merseyside | £472,320 | £1,982,400 |
| Metropolitan | £1,807,520 | £6,148,920 |
| Norfolk | £192,200 | £1,499,100 |
| Northamptonshire | £148,880 | £2,534,520 |
| Northumbria | £1,024,120 | £3,112,800 |
| North Yorkshire | £475,160 | £375,480 |
| Nottinghamshire | £185,000 | £2,574,960 |
| South Yorkshire | £1,562,480 | £3,088,920 |
| Staffordshire | £902,080 | £3,049,380 |
| Suffolk | £290,840 | £2,066,520 |
| Surrey | £213,600 | £2,371,200 |
| Sussex | £1,004.960 | £2,881,620 |
| Thames Valley | £2,131,400 | £8,238,720 |
| Warwickshire | £74,280 | £1,818,960 |
| West Mercia | £615,680 | £2,772,780 |
| West Midlands | £375,120 | £2,669,820 |
| West Yorkshire | £964,120 | £2,791,680 |
| Wiltshire | ££453,200 | £3,087,480 |
| Dyfed Powys | £268,320 | £63,240 |
| Gwent | £210,520 | £31,860 |
| North Wales | £365,840 | £3,569,460 |
| South Wales | £889,080 | £1,992,480 |
| Total | £28,510,120 | £106,404,720 |
I suppose a lot of you have you guessed & it won’t be surprise to those who didn’t that the figures represent the amount of income generated by speed cameras.
Note that some ‘incomes’ have gone up by ten times or more. Only North Yorkshire, Dyfed Powys & Gwent have gone down.
This is all grist to the mill of those who criticise speed cameras. i.e. most motorists. The debate continues on how much use speed cameras are for increasing safety & reducing road deaths.
I remain smug in the knowledge that I’ve not contributed a single penny to the above coffers (in direct fines, I accept that my taxes go to provide & maintain the equipment & adminsitrative staff & processes to run the things).
One thing is sure, whether you think it’s good or bad that so much money is now being raised through speed fines, it’s the police who will get the rough end of the criticism stick. “Haven’t you got anything better to do,?” “picking on the motorist again”, despite the fact that the police officers have little or nothing to do with speed cameras, the people who maintain & administrate them just happen to live in the same building.
If I get some time I’ll try & find out how many people have been saved & not injured because we are fining more motorists. It might make a good project for a winter’s evening some time.
