A GROUP of French traffic policemen, frustrated by speeding enforcement quotas, have taken to physically taping up speed cameras on their routes.
They maintain that French road safety policy is focussed on financial profitability rather than actually improving the safety of road users.
For their part, the police feel that they are being forced to compromise the purpose of their work by continuing to pursue a quota-based approach to enforcing the speed limit. They claim they are required by their superiors to fill their quota in order to receive a bonus.
The protesting policemen also want to generate debate surrounding the location and purpose of speed cameras. According to France24, the French government received a staggering €700 million in revenue from speed cameras in 2011. The figure has almost doubled since 2007.
Road deaths in France have fallen 9% for the first ten months of 2012 when compared with the first ten months of 2011, suggesting that roads are safer. However, this band of rebel coppers claim that this has nothing to do with draconian enforcement of the speed limit, often on fast country roads in areas with low population.
