Smile For The Camera
Anyone who drives will be familiar with the sight of the yellow boxes on the side of the road capturing the licence plates of speeding vehicles.
They’re slightly different from the smart motorway cameras but I’m sure one particular camera comes to mind when you think about it…
Well, what if I told you there was a decent chance that it’s out of action?
That’s because a recent survey found that across England and Wales, 46% of speed cameras are inactive.
It came from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request and it’s prompted concerns around road safety.
The safety concerns are relevant given that if drivers become aware that a certain camera isn’t snapping speeding vehicles, they’re less likely to adhere to the speed limit.
That’s not to say that everyone drives above the speed limit unless there’s a speed camera, though.
It’s simply a reality that drivers are more likely to creep above the speed limit, particularly in areas where the speed limit is lower (20mph and 30mph zones, mostly) in those circumstances.
The issue varies from area to area, with ALL speed cameras in Suffolk and Dyfed-Powys in use, while Northamptonshire has NONE.
Given that speeding is such a significant road safety issue, questions are being asked about why there are so many inactive cameras.
What do you think about the amount of inactive speed? Is it a significant road safety issue? Let us know in the comments below…
