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www.brighousetoday.co.uk, 11 January 2007
"LIES, damned lies and statistics" - the saying goes and former RAF engineer Andy Langton believes the maxim certainly applies to certain aspects of so-called "sexed-up" surveys on road deaths and accident injuries.
As West Yorkshire co-ordinator for the Association of British Drivers, he admits nothing raises his hackles more than "massaged" or "misleading figures", which claim significant reductions in the road accident toll.
And often linked to these statistics is the claim that speed cameras have played a huge role in the decline in road accident figures, which irritates him even more.
He accepts that speed cameras, in their infancy, may have been useful road safety measures, particularly at genuine blackspots, but he now believes that their proliferation throughout Britain has diminished any credence cameras may have had in the past in saving lives or reducing accidents.
He, like many others, and the association he represents, now feel the Government has gone too far in allowing speed cameras to be set up just about everywhere, as huge revenue earners, rather than significantly contributing to safer drivers and safer roads.
And the association claims that accident figures are deliberately inflated or tweaked in order that the Government and its linked agencies can continue to disperse propaganda to justify widespread camera installation.
For instance, figures released in 2004 suggested that over the period since the introduction of roadside cameras in the early nineties, there had been a 33% reduction in deaths and injuries in road accidents, but on a close analysis, this was nearer 3.3%, a fraction of that figure. Since then, those figures have been revised to 5% by the Government, to include the 2005 data.
The British Medical Association had also challenged the 33% figure in its house magazine, the British Medical Journal, revealing that hospital admission rates from traffic injuries had remained virtually unchanged, perhaps showing a slight increase.
But despite the discrepancies, there are other bodies which, even without the support of figures or graphs, believe the roadside camera must be a good thing in cutting speed - which we are repeatedly told, does "kill".
Speed can and does kill, of course, but Andy and those of a similar mind say that speed can kill at 15 or 20mph, just as at 30 or 40mph.
However, he argues there are far more other important factors which must be taken into account, but which are often overlooked when it comes to collating accident figures.
"Often, it is pure driver error and not speed at all, but there are many other complex issues usually involved which should be taken into account but which are not reflected in accident figures."
Andy, who is 47, became involved with the Association of British Drivers almost two years ago following an incident in which a friend experienced what he felt was unfair treatment when "flashed" by a camera which recorded speeds totally challenged by his friend.
"Basically, people get a notice to state whether or not they were the driver of a specific vehicle on a certain day at a certain time. Admitting they were driving the vehicle is enough for the camera agencies to prosecute and fine the motorist. He or she has little or no opportunity to challenge that decision, unless they are prepared to go through a lengthy court case."
The Association of British Drivers is currently questioning the whole procedure of camera prosecutions through the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and whether it infringes on people's rights to remain silent until they have the opportunity to challenge the charge.
Despite the apparent Government-bashing over statistics accused of being economical with the truth, Andy says the association, which aims to represent the independent voice of the driver, is anxious to make the Government aware that more can be done to make roads safer rather than penalising the motorist.
"The association, and many other organisations, feel that more driver education and better roads would make greater contributions than cameras to reducing accident figures," said Andy, who now works as a software engineer from his home in Brighouse.
"We feel that roadside cameras are a distraction for the motorists, as well as being 'weapons of mass prosecution' and that vehicle-activated signs - where illuminated 30, 40, 50 or 60 signs, flash on and off, are far more effective."
Andy says the association wants the Government to return to the 'Three Es' - Engineering, Education and Enforcement - spending money on roads to engineer-out accident blackspots, invest in driver training and education, and restore traffic police to their pre-camera levels.
"Despite the small amount of revenue ploughed into our highways, British roads and drivers are still seen as the safest in Western Europe and North America, although that position has slowly been declining because of a lack of investment in the road infrastructure and in road safety education," said Andy.
There are many other issues being thrashed out by the Association of British Drivers, but he says the important thing is to represent the motorist and make sure that he or she has a voice and to ensure correct analysis of records as well as accurate scientific research.
"We believe that the roadside camera has become a stealth tax on motorists with little evidence that it reduces accident figures significantly."
Figures are something Andy has been involved with both as an engineer in the RAF and now in the IT industry, engineering software that can be integrated into and is compatible with existing systems for companies and organisations.
"It's about adopting, adapting and creating software architecture and breaking components down into easily-managed chunks or modules for companies."
Born and brought up in Bridlington, Andy spent 13 years in the RAF, based in Germany and other UK bases, including his last, RAF Finningley which was decommissioned in 1996. During his time in the RAF, he took an engineering degree.
Since leaving the RAF, he has been involved in the IT industry, working for different companies, before moving to Calderdale seven years ago and setting up his own business four years ago.
But away from his interest in the voluntary Association of British Drivers, and his computer-orientated world, Andy enjoys (but only recently) tripping the light fantastic with his wife, legal secretary, Carol.
"My wife fancied learning to do the salsa and I was dragged into it, not screaming, but very apprehensive.
"I believed I had two left feet and I was a bit Jeremy (chauvinist) Clarkson about the whole thing, but three months down the line, it's a different story.
"Once we got going it was a revelation and we now both enjoy it immensely," said Andy.
He's a bit of an addict for 'Star Trek' and ITV's 'X-Factor' - and was thrilled when Leona Lewis won.
A lapsed soccer player, Andy now prefers to take life easier and holidays to Turkey often include a more leisurely session of snorkelling.
At the moment he's concentrating on improving his salsa at Lightcliffe Club.
"But we're not intending taking it to competition level, so I don't think I'll be taking part in 'Strictly Come Dancing' - or doing a stint in the West End's 'Billy Elliot'," he said.
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