18 July 2001: The Association of British Drivers has congratulated Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Michael Todd for his decision to 'freeze' the expansion of speed cameras in London because they have alienated hundreds of thousands of people who would normally be the staunchest supporters of the police.

A/C Todd has acknowledged the degree of resentment that aggressive and predatory law enforcement can engender and the subsequent withdrawal of public co-operation that can result.

Other police authorities propose doubling of the number of speed cameras on British roads and trebling of the number of tickets issued to ten million a year.

The ABD says that the British people deserve laws that are applied and policed by trained officers able to use judgement and discretion at all times and calls for a moratorium on speed camera expansion followed by a public debate on the use of automated law enforcement in general.

ABD Chairman Brian Gregory said that although speed cameras can perform a useful role when used appropriately to reduce speeds at accident blackspots, the wholesale corruption of the concept from road safety to revenue generation makes it 'essential that we rethink the entire speed camera strategy'.

The Association of British Drivers is run on a voluntary basis to lobby for British motorists. BT