bfu: Against announcement of speed cameras
A survey shows that the population underestimates the consequences of speeding and rates the probability of controls low. Speed controls serve traffic safety, according to the bfu. The accident prevention authorities are therefore opposed to an obligation to announce specific speed camera locations, as is being called for in Ticino and Baselland.
Exceeding speed limits is a widespread phenomenon. According to a survey by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO) and the bfu - Swiss Council for Accident Prevention, 71% of road users stated that they had deliberately exceeded the speed limit at least once in the last 12 months. Although half of all road users expect that they could cause an accident due to excessive speed, only five percent of them actually expect an accident to occur.
80 dead and 850 seriously injured annually
This assessment contrasts with the actual accident figures: Every year in Switzerland, about 80 people die in speed-related traffic accidents, about 850 are seriously injured, and many are even disabled for life. The higher the speed driven, the greater the probability of an accident and the greater the severity of the accident.
To reduce these road accidents, speed controls are essential. In the survey, 88% of the respondents stated that they occasionally to never expect a check. The bfu notes this value with concern. For accident prevention, it is important to keep the drivers' expectation of checks as high as possible. Drivers should always and everywhere expect police checks that are not announced and cannot be foreseen. Experience shows that this increases road safety and means that fewer fines have to be imposed.
Only controls without announcement bring more safety
The police carry out controls with stationary, semi-stationary and mobile control devices. In Ticino, the cantonal council has decided that locations of mobile controls must be announced 200 meters in advance. In the canton of Baselland, an initiative even requires that all radar measurements be announced. This means that they lose their general accident-preventing effect. "The compulsory announcement of all radar locations de facto undermines the speed regulations in Switzerland - some drivers would disregard the limits," says bfu director Brigitte Buhmann. With a view to the safety of all road users, the bfu is therefore clearly against a partial and complete obligation to announce the locations of speed checks. On the other hand, the police should continue to announce controls at particularly dangerous locations in a clearly visible manner. Source: bfu
The results of the survey can be found on www.bfs.admin.ch
