Effectiveness of speed cameras in preventing road traffic collisions and related casualties: systematic review

Abstract

Objectives To assess whether speed cameras reduce road traffic collisions and related casualties. Design Systematic review.

Characteristics of speeders

“…Speed cameras have been used extensively in other countries to control speeds in free-flowing traffic and have been shown to reduce crashes (Pilkington & Kinra, 2005). Their use in the United States is limited, although growing, and remains controversial.…”

Evaluation of the Scottsdale Loop 101 automated speed enforcement demonstration program

“…The reduction in total crash frequency was greater in urban areas (28%) than in rural areas (4%). A recent meta analysis (Pilkington and Kinra, 2005) also examine the effect of speed enforcement cameras on safety using the evaluation results from 14 observational studies, which were selected from 92 studies. The results show that the effects varied across studies: reductions from 5% to 69% in crash frequencies, 12% to 65% in injuries, and 17% to 71% in fatalities.…”

Quantile regression provides a fuller analysis of speed data

“…Consequently, excess speed is widely, although not universally, accepted as a marker of "road danger", and as a result evidence of speed reduction following an intervention may be regarded as a success measure for any action taken. Additionally, evidence for the effectiveness of interventions such as speed cameras, reviewed, for example in Pilkington and Kinra (2005) and Wilson et al (2007), can also be taken as evidence that relatively higher speed may be a collision risk factor.…”