Only around half of fixed speed cameras on British roads are switched on, according to new data. Figures released by 36 police forces in the UK show that of a total 2,838 cameras, just 1,486 - or 52% - are active and catching law-breakers. Some forces have turned all their cameras off, according to information obtained by the Press Association (PA). Northamptonshire police said its were shut off in 2011, but they left the structures in place to deter speeding. PA sent a freedom of information to all 45 police forces in the UK and their speed camera partnership, of which 36 responded with details of their fixed speed cameras. It did not include data on the mobile devices forces use to catch offenders. Staffordshire police said it has 272 cameras across its region but that only 14 are active. While Derbyshire said just 10 of its 112 cameras were active. In common with Northamptonshire, Cleveland, Durham and North Yorkshire said that none of their fixed cameras were switched on. A spokeswoman for the National Police Chiefs' Council said the decision to use cameras was "an operational matter", adding that "all forces have individual responsibility for their use of speed cameras". Fixed speed cameras in Cleveland, Durham, North Yorkshire and Northamptonshire are all inactive. Staffordshire Police has 272 fixed cameras across the region, of which 14 are active. Forces where less than 25% of fixed cameras are active: West Yorkshire, Kent, South Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Derbyshire force operates 112 cameras, of which 10 are switched on. Gwent police force has 17 fixed speed cameras of which 8 are active while South Wales has 88, 59% of which are switched on. Police forces with all fixed speed cameras switched on include: the City of London, the Metropolitan Police/Transport for London, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Northern Ireland. Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "Many of the empty yellow cases are due to cuts in road safety grants and the fact that digital cameras, although more effective, are very expensive." He added: "It has long been the case that cameras were moved between sites, depending on need. When it comes to the chances of being caught on camera, it is a postcode lottery. All cameras in City of London and Suffolk are working whereas only 5% are active in Staffordshire." "However, drivers should remember that lack of a yellow fixed camera doesn't mean they are immune from mobile hidden cameras. Best advice is stick to the limits rather than gambling on the yellow boxes." Claire Armstrong, co-founder of the lobby group Safe Speed, which campaigns for more traffic police officers, said that fixed speed cameras "are nothing to do with road safety". She claimed that "average cameras have a 5% negative effect on road safety, Gatso [yellow box cameras] have a 13% negative effect and a policeman on the side of the road will have a 27% benefit, so why are we using policies that are not effective and that we know have a negative effect on road safety?". However, Neil Greig, director of policy and research for the charity IAM Road Smart, said: "There's clear evidence at locations where cameras are located, they are there for road safety reasons. "They don't just appear out of nowhere. They have to go through a process involving looking at the road accident record at that location. "Each of these locations is a site that has got some kind of accident problem and that's why we want to be sure that there's protection there all the time for the people who live around those sites." Half of UK speed cameras are inactive
Been through quite a few that have never flashed. There's one around the corner from me that I've accidentally sped through about 4 times and it's never flashed.
A few friends are convinced that a certain camera in our area doesn't work and will plough through it. It might not work now, but you never know when/if the police will turn it on, especially if they get notified that folk aren't obeying it. I think they should put the speed limit signs closer to speed cameras too because plenty of folk aren't aware of the correct limit, particularly if it's in an area you don't know or the road layout has changed. In theory you should always know the limit and drive for the surroundings and conditions (which is what a police officer would tell you) but sometimes it just isn't clear.
Speed limits are something everyone should know, even without constant signs. Naked lampposts for instance, mean it's a 30mph zone. People just don't bother learning tbh, i'm included in that as well. Ironically I did a speed awareness course as I was caught speeding and learned that on a national speed limit dual carriageway, I was driving 10mph to slow.
Speed cameras generally only flash if you are 10%+3 mph over the limit. Personally think they should have more speed cameras with harsher penalties. They could pay off a huge part of the police wage bill if they did (particulalry here in NI where terrible driving is a much bigger problem that on mainland UK).
I can confirm the ones in South Yorkshire on the M1 are definitely switched on Anyone done a speed awareness course how bad is it?
My sister did one a couple of months ago. It's only 4 hours and you have to pay attention even though it's tedious at times, but she reckons it was miles better than 3 points on her licence.
I have a company car so I’m not fussed about the points just gonna pay for the cheapest option. A day off work sounds tempting.
Getting points isn’t going to affect my insurance costs because I have none so I’m not fussed about getting points normally I would if I had my own car. So I’m just going to go with the cheaper option or if there similar amounts I’ll take the awareness course for the day off work.
My speed awareness course was a whole working day. Don't know where you've got four hours from, unless it's changed in the last couple of years. It's actually not that bad and I found it quite informative. Ironically I was always travelling too slow on dual carriageways that had national speed limit signs. Talking of speed camera's. I went through one near mine at 40 and it never flashed a couple of days ago. They intermittently turn them on and off but hotspot area's where they catch a lot of people there'll be on more often as it earns the government money.
Maybe it's changed then Stret. In any case, I found it quite useful and I personally think they should be part of passing your driving test.
Exactly the same. And if you’re doing 35mph there’s no penalty Yeah mine was 4 hours. It was bearable enough.
I'm surprised what with the advent of Sat Nav that people are still get speeding tickets from fixed cameras, not to mention how few people know about the 10% + 2 rule. As for those people moaning about having to take a course, I've got to spend 7 hrs in a classroom (unpaid for me) every year (5 days in 5 yrs) getting waffled at by a prepubescent teen just in order to keep my license..
