http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.htm ... page_id=34
Cameras that DO let you speed
Photo caption: Speed cameras: Built to fail?
Speed camera operators fail to do their job properly because it could put them out of work, researchers have claimed.
If workers chased up every fine, the number of speeding drivers would fall, leading to a drastic drop in revenue and putting them out of a job, according to a new study.
But researchers from the Said Business School at Oxford University found the way speed cameras are set to catch drivers varies 'massively' around the country.
Motorists can drive up to 15mph over the speed limit before they are flashed by a camera in some areas, and in others they will rarely be pursued to pay their fine.
One partnership set cameras only to capture vehicles travelling over 45mph in a 30mph zone because it only had enough staff to process so many prosecutions.
Researchers were 'surprised' to find much of the process is carried out manually, from staff examining photos to identify number plates to changing films in the machines.
Partnerships seemed to care about the safety cameras provided and the revenue they generated, but only 60 to 70 per cent of drivers would pay their fines.
The findings have renewed calls for the cameras to be scrapped.
Paul Smith, of Safe Speed, said: 'We have been highlighting for years that we haven't been using these instruments to the benefit of road safety.'
A Department of Transport spokesman said: 'Speed cameras play a valuable role in improving road safety.'
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