Speed cameras: a snapshot of public opinion

According to this survey, while 82% of people now think it is acceptable for authorities to use speed cameras, 45% think that raising income is still a main reason for their use.

Speed awareness courses are also popular, with 72% of respondents saying they think that they are a good idea.

The results show that people think speed cameras are beneficial to road safety, with 85% of respondents saying that speed cameras have contributed to the fall in road deaths since 1990s.

The results for the home nations vary.

Speed cameras are least popular in Wales where 32% of people think their use is not acceptable. The survey also shows that Wales has the highest rate of people caught speeding. In the last three years 27% of respondents were caught speeding, or knew someone in their household who was caught speeding.

In contrast, cameras are most popular in Scotland where only 15% think they are unacceptable. Only 14% of respondents had been caught speeding or knew someone in the household who was.

In England, 19% of people were convicted or knew someone in their household who was caught speeding in the last three years, and 20% think their use is not acceptable.

Generally, people find speed cameras are more acceptable than five years ago. In 2007, 30% of respondents said speed cameras were not acceptable, a figure which has reduced every year to 16% in 2012.