Camden New Journal - News: Traffic lights put brakes on motorists

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Camden New Journal - by TOM FOOT
Published: 20 March 2008

Ken Livingstone at Christopher Hatton Primary School with Amy Aeron-Thomas of Roadpeace, and road safety campaigner Tessa Devlin

Traffic lights put brakes on motorists

Speedy drivers to see red

TRAFFIC lights in Camden High Street are to be resequenced in a bid to deter motorists from breaking the new 20mph speed limit.
Councillors are expected to approve the plan at a meeting tonight (Thursday) that will mean drivers facing more stoppages if they reach traffic lights faster than the 20mph limits allow.
The measures are aimed at cutting accidents in Camden Town.
Conservative environment chief Councillor Mike Greene said: “If drivers obey the 20 miles per hour limit they will be rewarded with a wave of green lights. But if they go too fast then they will get to the next traffic lights too soon and be hit with a red light. It will mean there will be no point in going any faster than 20mph.”
Cllr Greene added: “This has been something we have been working on for some time because there have been a huge number of accidents and injuries on the road.”
London mayor Ken Livingstone this week launched a new road safety campaign in the south of the borough.
He visited Christopher Hatton Primary School in Laystall Street, Holborn, where there is a concern that drivers use streets around the school as a rush-hour rat-run.
Mr Livingsone announced that he wants all of London’s residential streets to have a 20 mph limit
He said: “Research has shown that designating all residential streets as 20mph zones will make a huge difference to cutting further road casualties.”
Mr Livingsone said the new limit would in general be policed by more “average speed” traffic cameras – tracking drivers over a stretch of road.
He added: “The average speed cameras stop drivers simply slowing down when they see a camera”
Ten 20mph zones have already been introduced in Camden over the past five years.

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