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Australia, France, Italy, UK: Speed Cameras Trashed
Attacks on French speed cameras exploded in France last week, spreading to the Caribbean. Devices also damaged in Australia and Scotland.

Spraypainted French speed camera
Vigilantes set fire to the speed camera on Cumberland Road in Greenock, Scotland last week Saturday, according to Inverclyde Now. In Fraserburgh, vigilantes torched the speed camera on the A90 just before midnight last week Monday, the Press and Journal newspaper reported.

Attacks on speed cameras in France continue to ramp up in the wake of last month's reduction in the departmental speed limit to 80km/h (50 MPH). According to Le Parisien, the increased resistance has so far cost the government 10 million euros (US $11.6 million) in annual profit. That is a small dent in the one billion euros (US $1.1 billion) in revenue generated from the nation's 3275 fixed speed cameras and 383 mobile photo radar cars. Officials refuse to release overall figures on the number of camera attacks, but Boursorama counts 400 since January. The Landes department recorded a dozen attacks with nine cameras still out of commission, according to France Bleu, and Loire-Atlantique has seen a twenty percent increase in attacks, most recently with the painting of the speed camera on the D751 in Chemere and red paint blinding the camera on the RD763 in Gorges.

On Sunday, vigilantes destroyed the speed camera on the RD974 in Marsannay-le-Bois by setting it on fire, France 3 reported. Black spraypaint was used against the D949 speed camera in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire last week Sunday, according to Le Journal des Sables. On Wednesday, the speed camera on the RD802 in Camboulit was set on fire while the nearby camera on the RD820 in Cahors was scorched on Tuesday, La Depeche reported. On Saturday, the speed camera in Valenciennes was painted gold, according to La Voix du Nord. According to Radio Intensite, on the same day gray paint blinded the speed camera on the D923 near Nogent-le-Rotrou and black paint took out the camera on the D906 in Chartainvilliers. Blue spraypaint disabled the speed camera on the D6204 in Breil-sur-Roya on the Italian border, Riviera 24 reported. The device had just been installed two days earlier. Three of the four speed cameras in Pithiverais have been taken out in the past few weeks, including the camera on the RD2152 in Loury, the RD97 camera in Saint-Lye-la-Foret which was burned, and the camera on the RD927 in Jouy-en-Pithiverais was ripped apart and its internal electronics exposed. In Ariege, vigilantes have even begun disabling five boxes used to survey traffic for the departmental government. The devices do not issue tickets, according to 20 Minutes.

The speed camera on the RD44 in Sainte-Sigolene has been attacked three times in the last six months, La Commere 43 reported. The latest incident on Wednesday blinded the device with black paint and a euro symbol on the side. In Ruisseauville, black paint was used on the D928 speed camera, according to Le Journal de Montreuil. On the RD939 on Tuesday, gray paint and was used on the recently installed speed camera in Berles-Monchel, La Voix du Nord reported. Black paint was used on the speed camera in Garlan, according to Le Telegramme. Bright blue paint was selected to disable the speed camera on the RD764 in Naizin on Tuesday, Ouest France reported. On the RD475 in Menotey, the speed camera was put to the torch on Wednesday at around 6am, according to Le Progres. Red paint blinded a mobile speed camera in Nimes on Thursday, La Gazette de Nimes reported.

The attacks have even spread to the French-controlled Caribbean islands of the Lesser Antilles. In Le Gosier, the speed camera on the Route de la Riviera was torched on Wednesday, Caraibe Orange noted.

A speed camera caused an injury accident in San Pietro Vernotico, Italy, last week Monday. According to Brindisi Report, the driver of a Jeep SUV slammed on the brakes as he saw the speed camera on the side of highway 613 to avoid receiving a ticket in the mail. Instead, the driver lost control and slammed into the center median after striking a nearby Renault Captur.

A vigilante in Adelaide, Australia, set fire to the speed camera on Tapleys Hill Road last week Monday, 9 News reported. The base of the device was scorched, but the electronics did not suffer significant damage.



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