cost of speed cameras, as the level of cynicism among drivers is
confirmed, with many motorists increasingly viewing the roadside yellow
boxes as little more than revenue-raising devices.
Speed cameras are costing motorists in England and Wales up to £150
million a year through the combined cost of fines and increased car
insurance premiums. Research commissioned by Swift Cover car insurance
revealed that drivers are paying out in excess of £114 million a year
in fines. Added to this is the increased premium charged by many
insurers following a speeding conviction, estimated at £36 million a
year, and drivers are paying out £150 million to compensate for their
speeding lapses.
In total it was found that 2.2 million drivers are convicted for
speeding every year, almost half of these having been caught by
roadside cameras. Many experts credit the escalating number of speed
cameras with the corresponding rise in speeding convictions, with
speeding fines up 328 per cent over the past decade, which has also
seen the UK's speed camera network swell to 6,000.
Unsurprisingly given this cost, speed cameras do not rank highly among
a list of drivers favourite things. Around two-thirds of those
surveyed thought speed cameras were "mainly" installed to raise
revenue, with just 13 per cent agreeing that they are the best way to
encourage safe driving.
In fact, many argue that speed cameras actually encourage unsafe
driving, with Swift Cover claiming that they have encouraged a trend
for 'yo-yo driving', whereby drivers speed up between cameras and then
slam their breaks on at the last minute to avoid a fine. Indeed,
almost six in ten of those surveyed admitted to driving in such a
manner, with a further 54 per cent blaming them for encouraging erratic
driving.
The majority of those questioned said that speed cameras were a
distraction on the road, increasing their chances of an accident rather
than encouraging safer driving, with over seven in ten admitted to
paying more attention to speed cameras and their speedometer than
potential hazards. In contrast, many drivers argued that they would
actually be safer if allowed to continue speeding, with seven in ten of
those convicted for speeding claiming that they had been driving safely
for the conditions of the road at the time.
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign, said that
he was not surprised by the findings, having been warning for years
that speed cameras make the roads more dangerous.
He also said that the latest figures undermine the government's
argument that speed cameras have public backing, describing their
claims as "misleading".
"The government claims that 80% (or so) of people support speed
cameras. This survey (conducted under proper conditions by a reputable
professional polling company) proves, once again, that government
figures are highly misleading," he said.
"Please listen, Mr Darling and Dr Ladyman; We don't want your cameras.
We don't believe they make us safer. We don't have any faith in your
road safety policies. Bite the bullet, admit that speed cameras don't
work, and let's get back to real road safety policies. Your infernal
cameras are killing us indirectly, because, at best, they replace
genuine life-saving road
safety policies," he pleaded.