Attitudes of drivers ‘harden towards speed cameras’

The latest survey by the Institute of Advanced Motorists shows a six per cent fall in the number of people who believe cameras help cut injuries.

Drivers in Yorkshire and Humberside are among the most sceptical, with 77 per cent in favour of cameras, third from bottom on a list compiled by IAM.

Overall the average has dropped from 80 per cent last year to 79 per cent.

Over half don’t believe cameras are only sited where accidents happen and almost half think that raising money is their main purpose.

Director of policy at the 
IAM Neil Greig said expectations may have been raised that the cameras would be scrapped, 
after the Government slashed public funds for speed cameras in 2010.

He said: “This year there seems to be a hardening of attitude.

“For the first time in 10 years support for cameras has gone below 80 per cent.

“It is difficult to put a single reason on it but we think possibly it is the economy.

“A year or two ago there were some predictions that speed cameras might end altogether and perhaps some people got their hopes up and the reality is they have carried on. Perhaps some people are a bit disappointed.”

Ruth Gore, of Safer Roads Humber, said each of their 75 fixed speed camera sites in northern Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire had been chosen because there had been crashes and people hurt – but not necessarily elsewhere.

She said: “In some locations round the country, some safety camera sites were put in 15/20 years ago for not the same reasons.

“Over Sheffield, Leeds way, they weren’t put in for casualty reduction reasons which is partly where the cynicism comes in and where the revenue-raising comes in.

“We can put our hands on our hearts and say all our sites have been put there because there were crashes there.”

According to the IAM’s survey Wales shows the most support for speed cameras, with 87 per cent in favour and the South East and London both at 86 per cent.

At the other end Scotland shows the least support with just 63 per cent approval.