When we engage with members of the public, it’s the perfect opportunity for us in GoSafe to bust those myths and misconceptions. Sadly, we won’t have that opportunity this year, but read on below to see which myths we can bust:
- Myth: Safety cameras are just an easy way of making money for the police.
Fact: Safety cameras are there to save lives and make the roads safer not to make money. Neither the police nor any other partners within GoSafe make any profit from speed and red light fines. All fine revenue is passed to the Treasury. GoSafe is funded by a grant from the Welsh Government (WG) with the remainder of our operating costs being provided by means of a grant provided at the discretion of the Police and Crime Commissioners for Wales, based on receipts derived from motorists who attend diversionary courses, for example Speed Awareness Courses
- Myth: Your operators are impersonating Police officers
Fact: GoSafe Casualty Reduction Officers are Police staff in Police vehicles.
They are directed in their duties by Police Sergeants/Inspectors and have been given designated authority to undertake their duties by the Chief Constable of their respective forces. They record offences of speed, non-wearing of seatbelts and mobile phone use. Those offences are then processed via offices in North Wales and South Wales Police.
- Myth: Safety cameras are hidden to catch motorists out and are placed where they will record the most speeding offences.
Fact: GoSafe place speed and red light cameras where people have been killed or injured, where excessive speeds have been recorded or at a Community Concern site. Cameras are not hidden to catch drivers out or placed where they will record the most speeding offences. Cameras are there to encourage motorists to drive within the speed limit. We also publish the locations of all our fixed cameras and also our core and community concern mobile cameras on our website.
- Myth: Casualty Reduction Officers just sit back in their vans reading a book whilst the camera records all passing traffic.
Fact: Our Casualty Reduction Officers use their judgement on every passing vehicle and if they believe the vehicle is travelling over the legal speed limit they will manually operate the camera equipment by pointing the camera at the vehicle registration plate to record the travelling speed. If the vehicle is breaking the speed limit the speed will be saved onto a memory card. The CROs will also routinely use the camera equipment to ensure motorists are wearing their seatbelt and are not using a mobile phone.
If you’ve heard of any other myths about how we work and what we do, please let us know and we will endeavour to reveal the truth behind the myth.