Critics say speeding fines still a tax on motoring

The TaxPayers' Alliance and the Drivers' Alliance say the figures show cameras are still "squeezing a fortune out of motorists", though the total in fines issued nationwide has fallen by more than 10 per cent from the previous year's total of 74m – with parts of Yorkshire showing some of the biggest falls in the country.

The decline in fines is being put down in part to the rising popularity of in-car satellite navigation systems, which warn drivers when they are approaching a speed camera, coupled with the decision of police forces to start offering motorists the chance to take speed awareness courses as an alternative to convictions.

The figures show around 3.2m in fines were issued by cameras across West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Humberside in 2008/09 – a drop of 40 per cent on the previous year's total of 5.28m.

The pressure groups behind today's research say, however, the figures remain too high, publishing further statistics which they said showed road casualty numbers have declined at a slower rate since speed cameras were introduced in the early 1990s.

TaxPayers' Alliance chief executive Matthew Elliott said: "Motorists have long suspected speed cameras are more about raising money than keeping the roads safe. These findings show the state has been squeezing a fortune out of people using these cameras, but if anything the rate of reduction in casualty numbers has slowed."

Drivers' Alliance chief executive Peter Roberts added: "It is time to re-think road safety policy so it has a broadened focus, not solely based on speed."

Their analysis was strongly rejected by the South Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership which said road deaths in the county were now at their lowest level since records began. South Yorkshire also now issues fewer fines than almost any other part of the country, down from 1.76m in 2007/08 to just 481,000 in 2008/09.

A spokesman said the partnership now focuses "on educating the public about the dangers of speeding and influencing driver behaviour."

He said: "Since the introduction of educative tools such as speed awareness courses in 2007, the number of people prosecuted for speeding offences in South Yorkshire has dropped dramatically – from 74,132 in 2005/06, to only 8,735 in 2008/09."

In-car sat nav systems are seen as another key factor, now being owned by almost half the population. Campaign group Safe Speed claims sat navs are allowing drivers to dodge cameras.

Spokeswoman Claire Armstrong said: "More people are buying sat navs to know where the cameras are likely to be. The motorist is encouraged to observe cameras rather than the road ahead."

The Government has expressed concern about camera numbers and cut all funding for new ones in the Budget.