Speed tolerance of speed cameras by 1mph, from 10%+3mph to 10%+2mph
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.037687
I note you seek access to the following information:
Hello, In Sept 2022 the Met police lowered the speed tolerance of speed cameras by 1mph, from 10%+3mph to 10%+2mph.
Please may you list;
A) Percentage increase in prosecutions in calendar year 2021 compared to 2023
B) Percentage change fatal traffic accidents in the calendar year 2021 compared to 2023
C) Percentage change in non fatal traffic accidents in the calendar year 2021 compared to 2023
D) Change in rate of fatal collisions per 100,000 people/drivers in the calendar year 2021 compared to 2023 Also, can the metropolitan police meet their budget requirements for the year, if they were to receive no income from speeding fines/fixed penalty notices?
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
Hello, In Sept 2022 the Met police lowered the speed tolerance of speed cameras by 1mph, from 10%+3mph to 10%+2mph.
Before we proceed with answering your request below, we would like to correct the September 2023 date you have quoted above to May 2019 when we adjusted the enforcement threshold.
QA - Percentage increase in prosecutions in calendar year 2021 compared to 2023
Camera Speeding NIPs:
• 2021 - 366681
• 2023 - 709305. That is a 93% increase
QB - Percentage change fatal traffic accidents in the calendar year 2021 compared to 2023
Fatal Collisions:
• 2021 - 87
• 2023 - 107. That is a 23% increase
QC - Percentage change in non-fatal traffic accidents in the calendar year 2021 compared to 2023
Damage only collisions:
• 2021 - 40110
• 2023 - 42744. That is a 6% increase
Injury collisions:
• 2021 - 24212
• 2023 - 23875. That is a 1% decrease
QD - Change in rate of fatal collisions per 100,000 people/drivers in the calendar year 2021 compared to 2023 Also, can the metropolitan police meet their budget requirements for the year, if they were to receive no income from speeding fines/fixed penalty notices?
Please see below the fatal numbers we have for London for the 2021 to 2023.
Unfortunately, we do not hold information on fatalities per 1,000 drivers but in answer to the second part of the request, that is the – “requirements for the year, if they were to receive no income from speeding fines/fixed penalty notices; we can confirm that the Metropolitan Police Service receive no direct income from speeding fines or fixed penalty notices paid. The MPS is fully funded by Transport for London under a Section 25 Special Services Agreement to deliver safety camera enforcement in London. In addition monies relating to paid fixed penalties are recovered by the Treasury.
STATS19
- 2021 - 75
- 2022 - 102
- 2023 - 95
We would also like to interpret the casualty trends for 2021 in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. The period since March 2020 saw reduced travel, especially during lockdown periods, and a corresponding reduction in road casualties. Most legal limits were removed in July 2021, corresponding with an increase in activity, followed by a temporary reintroduction of measures in December 2021. Despite this increase in activity, the number of people killed on London’s roads in 2021 fell by 22 per cent to the lowest level on record, compared to a seven per cent increase nationally.
However, during 2021 there was a 10 per cent increase in the number of people injured (all severities) in road traffic collisions compared to the previous year, and an 11 per cent increase nationally. The number of people that were killed or seriously injured increased by 17 per cent compared to 2020, compared to 14 per cent increase nationally. This was partly due to 2020 being heavily affected by lockdowns with a return to the previous pre-pandemic trend in casualties, as London has recovered from the pandemic.