Uno Hoo!
I don't use a detector personally, but that quote annoyed me when I read the original article. Which of the following statements is not true?
"Deterring speeding at accident black spots improves safety."
"Speed cameras are placed only at accident black spots."
"When speeding drivers know where a speed camera is, they are more likely to slow down as they pbutt it."
"Drivers who use speed camera detectors are more likely to know where a speed camera is."
If these statements are all true, you've just proved that giving drivers who speed a camera detector will improve safety at accident black spots.
Speed camera detectors to banned 5252Alistair J Murray explained on 10-03-2005 : Agreed! You drive down the road, perhaps trying to drive at sensible and safe speeds, but part of your attention is expended looking for...
Now, on the flip-side, you can claim that giving detectors to drivers who want to speed will encourage them to go faster on roads where there aren't any cameras. This is a plausible counter to the above argument, but you'd better have some solid stats to back it up.
The only stats I've seen on this one are those produced by suppliers of the equipment and so obviously biased, but I think they claim something pretty straightforward like "Drivers who use speed camera detectors are x% less likely to have an accident." If those are even close to accurate, then the advantages at accident blackspots with cameras appear to outweight any increased risk elsewhere considerably. If they aren't true, it's surprising that the authorities allow them to continue making such claims in their advertising.
Of course, the cynic in me also has to point out that drivers with speed camera detectors are considerably less likely to give the government money.
Cheers, Chris
