Dual the A9 Campaigner, Murdo Fraser MSP, will call on the Scottish Government to reserve judgement on the success of average speed cameras until there is at least full year of information available during a debate in the Scottish Parliament.
In an SNP debate praising the cameras, the Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP called on the Scottish Government to consult with motorists if they are considering putting similar systems on other trunk roads.
Extracts from Murdo Fraser MSP speech in parliament (Check against delivery):
“Six months after Average Speed Cameras have gone live, where are we now? I fear that Mike MacKenzie is premature is saying that the cameras are a success.
“One thing is clear- speeding has been reduced. This fact is almost undisputable. However, is the road any safer? I am not so sure.
“Scarcely a week goes by when I don’t open the pages of the Courier or the Press & Journal to read either about another serious crash, or another deadly near miss. The week before last a video went viral of a dramatic near miss close to Blair Atholl. Almost every major Scottish news outlet ran a story on it and the New York Daily News featured a different near miss from the week previous on their online edition.
This is global recognition for Scotland, but entirely the wrong kind.
“Proponents of average speed cameras claim that reducing speeding has ultimately made the road safer. But that assumes that speed is the primary factor in accidents on the A9.
“As has been mentioned time and time again, road layout and driver frustration are responsible for a large percentage of collisions on the road. Until we have a full year of evidence it is too early to celebrate the success of average cameras. And I would hope that the Scottish Government resist their urge to plaster these systems across our trunk roads until we have concrete full year results.
“The only statistics released thus far on the effectiveness of the system show that whilst speeding has reduced significantly, there has been a sharp increase, 33%, in the number of motorists caught speeding on dual carriageway sections of the road.
“In creating transport policy, I staunchly believe that the Scottish Government must consult with the very people who use the road, the drivers. Taking into account their views is a must. I am therefore pleased to note Transport Scotland’s consultation on the Dalwhinnie junction and would ask them to take a similar approach if they are considering rolling out average speed cameras across Scotland.