Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/03/365.asp
4/30/2005
UK: Hundreds Protest M4 Freeway Speed Camera
One of the largest protests of speed cameras brings the M4 freeway in Wiltshire, UK to a crawl.
In one of the largest organized speed camera protests to date, more than two hundred motorists showed up to express their displeasure with photo enforcement on the M4 freeway in Wiltshire, UK this morning. Police escorted the "go slow" protesters in the first two of the three freeway lanes in both travel directions. Although the caravan began at 56 MPH, speeds gradually fell to 20-30 MPH along the 30-mile demonstration route. The protest, organized by 52-year-old housing consultant Robin Summerhill, was meant to show that, "there's more to road safety than speed."
One participant called the event a success after receiving support from workers in the rest stop where the protest began. "[We had] a huge amount of support from people who were just in the services not aware initially of what was going on."
"It was awesome," another participant said. "We had people on virtually every overpass on the way clapping, waving and generally being very supportive."
Article Excerpt:M4 Protest has issued the following demands
- We demand the immediate suspension of all speed cameras on open motorways because we do not believe that they improve safety.
- We demand an end to the greedy camera partnerships. The partnership structure is cash driven and works against genuine road safety.
- We demand that no road safety policy penalises safe and responsible driving.
- We demand road safety policies that enhance, rather than destroy, the relationship between responsible members of the public and the Police.
- We demand that the major political parties make very clear their policies on speed cameras and road safety in the run up to the general election.
- We demand a fair, impartial and statistically sound review of all speed camera operations giving proper consideration to side effects as well as main effects.
- We demand an immediate end to the deliberate abuse of statistical data. For example, camera partnerships and others ignore regression to the mean effects to fraudulently claim benefit for their cameras.
- We demand open and accurate public debate on the issues surrounding speed cameras. Our spokesperson will meet anyone - head to head - in any national media.