| I once
asked my MP how many letters it takes to make a difference.
He told me 'about three'. He typically received 30 letters a day. Of these,
the vast majority would be from people wanting to know why the council
hadn't fixed their leaking roof, and a couple would be written in green
crayon. The remaining two or three would be intelligently-written letters
regarding a policy matter. If he got more than one or two on the same
topic, he tended to consider that to be a matter of some concern to his
constituents.
I've been
involved in a fair number of lobbying campaigns
over the years, and am pleased to say that the majority of these were
successful.
Below is an
example of a past lobbying campaign page
I put together. Next time I'm involved in another one, I'll post the details
here.
Bright
Gatsos are speed cameras which are painted in high-visibility colours
and patterns so that drivers notice them. By drawing attention
to them in this way, they serve their intended purpose: reducing speeds
at accident blackspots. Unlike the hidden, forward-facing, infra-red camera
on the left.
Bright Gatsos make logical sense
The
purpose of speed cameras is to reduce speeds at accident blackspots,
giving drivers more time to spot hazards and to negotiate them safely.
When they are grey, blending into the background, and especially when
they are hidden by roadsigns and bridges, they don't do this job very
well. Indeed, there is a danger that drivers busy scanning for hard-to-spot
cameras may pay too little attention to pedestrians, cyclists and other
drivers, making a stretch of road more dangerous.
But
when Gatsos are made difficult to miss, drivers will be alerted
to the fact that they are approaching a particularly hazardous spot and
will slow down.
Bright
Gatos also target the most dangerous drivers: those oblivious
to what is going on around them. Any driver caught by a Bright Gatso is
clearly driving with far too little attention on the road, making Gatsos
effective at detecting dangerous drivers.
Bright Gatsos work
The
first UK trial of a Bright Gatso was a huge success. When the
Gatso camera installed at an accident blackspot on the A3064 was painted
in red-and-yellow stripes, speeding dropped 80% and injury accidents dropped
43%. This is far higher than any figures achieved by grey Gatsos. Bright
Gatsos are also used with great success in countries like the Netherlands.
Bright Gatsos have widespread support
There
is widespread support for Bright Gatsos ...
The
Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) said in a press release:
'We are opposed to the use of excessive or inappropriate speed but
we are a bit suspicious that [grey Gatsos] are not being used to deter
speeding. If they are supposed to deter people, why are they not clearly
marked? Why are they hidden behind bridges and painted grey?' Press
Officer Vince Yearley went on to say: 'They should be brightly coloured,
with flashing signs underneath saying what the limit is at that point.'
The
Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) spokesman Don Webster
said about the Plymouth Bright Gatso initiative: 'Anything which has
an impact on accidents is to be encouraged.'
Chief
Constable Richard Brunstrom has told the All-Party Parliamentary
Group for Road Safety at the House of Commons: 'We need many
more cameras and for them to be more visible. They ought to be bright
yellow with locations published in the newspapers so that people know
where they are and why they are there.'
South
Yorkshire Police accident investigator Andy O’Hagan said,
after Doncaster followed the Plymouth lead by painting six cameras on
A630 bright yellow: 'It would be great if all forces in the country
followed our lead.' Speed camera monitor Inspector Tim Mullins added:
'We are not interested in catching people. If we don’t catch
any speeders then the cameras have done their job. What is the point in
having a deterrent if it is not visible?'
AA
spokesman Steve Upsher said: 'The best way to reduce accidents
is to have well-seen deterrents. The more people who are aware of cameras,
the better effect they have.'
RAC
spokesman Peter Brill said: 'Speed cameras have to be used appropriately
and not just as a way of generating revenue.'
Transport
Research Laboratory spokesman Mike Winnett said of hidden and
inappropriately-sited Gatsos: 'This is not what Gatsos were designed
for.'
Bright
Gatsos are unbeatable value for money
Painting
the camera in Plymouth cost just £250 - making it the cheapest
road safety initiative around. Done nationally, the cost per camera would
be even lower.
Bright Gatsos need your support
With
the official backing they already have, what is needed now is
public support. To make a real difference will take about 10
minutes of your time ...
Petitions
don't work unless you can muster millions of signatures. The
same applies to form letters.
What
does work is individual letters to MPs. As few
as 30 or 40 letters in total can persuade the government that an issue
has widespread popular support (because so few people write to their MP
on matters of policy, each letter carries enormous weight). A few hundred
personal letters almost guarantees action, so that's what we're
aiming to achieve.
The
success of this approach has been proven by past campaigns. On
two occasions, a few hundred letters managed to reverse government policy
(once regarding Britain's overseas aid policy, and once regarding our
participation in a Unicef children's summit), and on one occasion just
30 letters got a pilot traffic scheme introduced.
Here's what to do ...
Find
out who your MP is if you don't already know. There are two ways
of doing this:
-
Go
to http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/
and enter your postcode in the top box.
-
Alternatively,
call the House of Commons Enquiry Office on 020-7219 4272.
The advantage of this is that you can also ask for the correct way
to address them on the envelope - this is usually either
'The Honourable <Full Name>, MP' or 'The Right Honourable <Full
Name>, MP'. Either way, it is fine to begin your letter 'Dear <Firstname>'.
Then
write a one-page letter to them asking them to support proposals for hi-visibility
Gatso cameras. The important points about these letters are:
-
Word
your letter yourself, don't copy someone else's text. Make
the points made above, but do so in your own words. Use only one
of the above quotes.
-
Be
friendly, polite and supportive. Ideally, get the MP on your
side by acknowledging something useful they have said or done, but
definitely let them know that you feel sure they will wish to make
a contribution to road safety by taking action on this issue.
-
Establish
your own credibility. If you have passed an advanced driving
test ... if you hold, or have held, any kind of 'official' position
connected with road safety ... if you have simply been driving or
riding for many years without ever having had an accident ... mention
it! Views expressed by responsible citizens with knowledge of the
subject hold more sway than those of extremists.
-
Demonstrate
personal interest.
Show why the issues matters to you as an individual. Ideally, give
local examples of hidden Gatsos. If you are a parent, mention
the fact - given the way children as used as political pawns, it is
important to show that parents support this initiative.
-
Ask
for specific action. In this case, ask them to write to,
or speak with, John Prescott to ask that high-visibility Gatsos be
made national policy so that the entire country can benefit from the
Plymouth success.
Send
the letter to:
<Title
& Name - see above>
The House of Commons
London SW1A 2PW
That's
it! It will only take about 10-15 minutes, and each individual
letter makes a real difference.
Once
you have written your own letter, please encourage friends & colleagues
to do the same.
(Although
there are ways of emailing and faxing your MP, actual letters have more
impact and are less likely to suggest an organised campaign. Handwritten
letters are even better IF you have legible writing.)
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