Speeding offences caught in the MPS area from January 2019 to January 2023

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.029022

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. The number of speeding offences caught in your area, from the start of January 2019 to the end of January 2023.
This includes fixed cameras, and those caught by police.

2. The roads where these speeding offences occurred.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose some of the requested information. Some data has been withheld as it is exempt from disclosure and therefore this response serves as a Refusal Notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 31(1)(a)(b) Law Enforcement

Reason for decision

The above Exemption has been applied with reference to Q2 - The roads where these speeding offences occurred.

This is because, to provide data on the roads where speeding offences have occurred would reveal patterns where speed cameras are effective, which could be perceived as areas of weaknesses to be manipulated by those with intent, e.g., speeding motorists.

Once this is information is provided in response to one request, the details would have to be released to anyone who requests it. Any information released via FOIA would also be published via the MPS’ Publication Scheme, thereby available in the public domain, enabling those with intent to map where cameras are active so that they can evade the law. This cannot be in the public interest.

Section 31(1)(a)(b) - Law Enforcement - Speed safety cameras help the police and local authorities to be proactive in identifying areas of speed risks across London and is used to effectively manage and enforce speed limits in an effort to prevent speed-related deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

Disclosure of the roads where speeding offences have occurred would provide those with intent, e.g., speeding motorists, with intelligence to evade law enforcement by building up a mosaic picture to detect where cameras are operational. This would enable them to avoid those areas where they anticipate cameras are in use but continue to exceed the speed limit in other areas, thereby placing the community at increased, unnecessary risk.

For the reasons outlined above, the MPS believes that providing details of the roads where speeding offences occurred would undermine law enforcement, which cannot be in the public interest.

It cannot be in the public interest to disclose information which would compromise the effective delivery of operational law enforcement.

Disclosing the information requested would provide those with intent, e.g., speeding motorists, with police intelligence. This would place communities at risk by rendering speed enforcement cameras useless, thereby undermining law enforcement. This could result in more final resources being required to keep our roads and communities safe, which cannot be in the public interest.

I consider that the benefit that would result from the information being disclosed does not outweigh the considerations favouring non-disclosure.

This decision is based on the understanding that the public interest is not what interests the public, but what would be of greater good to the community as a whole.

Disclosure

With reference to Q1 - The number of speeding offences caught in your area, from the start of January 2019 to the end of January 2023.
This includes fixed cameras, and those caught by police.

The number of speeding offences caught in your area, from the start of January 2019 to the end of January 2023. This includes fixed cameras, and those caught by police, please see the details below:

Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) 2019 – January 2023 (Manned Equipment)
2019	2020	2021	2022	Jan 2023
11,795	30,840	19,236	15,953	1,272

 

Speeding Offences 2019 – January 2023 (Auto Camera Devices)
2019	2020	2021	2022	Jan 2023
197,349	222,224	348,220	588,533	59,291