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Safety cameras are used to make roads safer and save lives, not to make money or catch motorists out.

The highway authorities (Kent County Council, Medway Council and the Highways Agency) explore all possible alternatives to improve road safety along a stretch of road before resorting to the use of a safety camera. Even then, cameras can only be placed at sites where there has been a history of people killed or seriously injured in speed related crashes.

Cameras are not placed on roads where they will make the most money. Cameras are there to encourage motorists to drive within the legal speed limit; so the most successful cameras are those which record the least number of offences, not the most.

How and when cameras are deployed depends on the crash history and road safety problem at each location. Guidelines are followed before installation of a fixed or mobile site is decided upon.

Guidelines

Until the end of March 2007, all safety camera installations adhered to the criteria set out by the Department for Transport (DfT). Click on the following link to download a copy of the handbook - DfT handbook 06-07.

From 1 April 2007, the policy that the Partnership adheres to is largely the same, with the following key criteria:

• Fixed safety cameras can be installed where three or more people have been killed or seriously injured in speed-related crashes, over a 1.5km stretch of road, in the three years prior to installation.

• Mobile safety cameras can be installed where at least one person has been killed or seriously injured in a speed-related crash/es, over a 5km stretch of road, in the three years prior to installation.

• The use of safety cameras should be seen as a last resort measure, once all other justifiable solutions have been exhausted.

• The speed limit covered by a camera must be properly signed to ensure that enforcement can be carried out.

• Site inspections should ensure that the loading and unloading of the camera can take place safely.

• The selected location for mobile enforcement is easily accessible and there is space for enforcement to take place in a visible and safe manner.

• Housings should be painted yellow.

• All sites must be signed with sufficient signing to warn drivers of the presence of camera enforcement.

If you think your area would benefit from a safety camera then please visit our 'Request a camera' page.