A follow-up four-year independent study commissioned by the DfT
[43] concluded "after allowing for the long-term trend, but without allowing for selection effects (such as regression-to-mean) there was a 22% reduction in personal injury collisions (PICs) at sites after cameras were introduced. Overall 42% fewer people were killed or seriously injured. At camera sites, there was also a reduction of over 100 fatalities per annum (32% fewer).
Use of ANPR is not limited to traffic-related law enforcement. Under the UK
Home Office's "Project Laser", ANPR cameras log all the vehicles passing particular points in the national road network, allowing authorities to track the movement of vehicles and individuals across the country
Use for non-traffic purposes
Cameras and number-plate recognition equipment can be used for purposes unrelated to enforcement of traffic rules. In principle any agency or person with access to data either from traffic cameras or cameras installed for other purposes can track the movement of vehicles for any purpose.
[3]
As an example, 80-year-old pensioner John Catt and his daughter Linda (with no criminal record between them) were stopped by
City of London Police while driving in
London,
UK in 2005, had their vehicle searched under section 44 of the
Terrorism Act 2000, and were threatened with arrest if they refused to answer questions. After they complained formally, it was discovered they were stopped when their car was picked up by roadside
ANPR CCTV cameras; it had been flagged in the
Police National Computer database when they were seen near
EDO MBM demonstrations in
Brighton. Critics point out that the Catts had been suspected of no crime, however the UK's
mass surveillance infrastructure allowed them to be
targeted due to their association.
[58]