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Half of speed cameras don’t work at any one time
Which? reveals the truth about speed cameras
27 January 2011
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53% of speed cameras in England and Wales don't work at any one time

More than half the fixed speed cameras in England and Wales don’t work at any one time, according to a new investigation conducted by Which?.

The investigation, in the February issue of Which? magazine, found that 53% of fixed cameras in England and Wales are not in operation at any one time.

However, this is not a repeat of the mass turn-off heavily reported last summer, when Oxfordshire stopped using all its cameras due to budget cuts. It is evidence of the different outlooks on the use of gatsos by different local authorities.

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Some regions have no speed cameras at all

Our investigation found big differences in the number of speed cameras used by each of the 43 police authorities in England and Wales.

Sussex has 60 fixed speed cameras, and all of them are operational, while Lancashire, which has 287 fixed cameras, uses just 10% at any one time.

And four regions have no fixed speed cameras at all: Cleveland, Durham, North Yorkshire and Wiltshire.

All this means the chances of being caught speeding are dramatically different depending on the area.

Our investigation follows last month's revelation that speed camera information could be made available to the general public.

Read our opinion on whether speed cameras should be switched off
Public opinion on speed cameras

Part of our investigation also included a survey of motorists’ opinions on the use speed cameras.

A vast majority of people (83%) said fixed speed cameras only stop people speeding at specific locations, and don’t change behaviour generally.

However, this conflicts with the RAC’s estimation that 800 more people would be killed or seriously injured on UK roads if all speed cameras were switched off.

The full investigation results are available in the February edition of Which?.

Drivers face speed camera lotto
by Krissy Storrar, Daily Mirror 27/01/2011

THE chances of being caught by a speed camera vary widely depending on where you are driving.

Only 47% of fixed cameras in England and Wales are working at any one time, Which? said.

While just 10% of the 287 cameras in Lancashire are on, all 60 in Sussex are.

Which? said: “The norm is for more yellow boxes than actual cameras.”

The Government says cameras save 100 lives a year but only 47% in a 2010 poll thought they made roads safer.