Speed cameras malfunctioning

Concerns for road safety have been raised as almost half (46%) of speed cameras across England and Wales are not in operation, according to research conducted by dashcam and speed camera detector tech firm Road Angel. The company obtained this information through a freedom of information (FOI) request. The study also revealed that all eight fixed speed cameras in Northamptonshire were inactive, while Gwent in south east Wales only had one active speed camera out of the 31 installed.

The FOI request received responses from 13 police forces, six of which had over half of their speed cameras inactive at the time of the reply. The regions with the most speed cameras, Derbyshire (113), Essex (110), and Devon & Cornwall (110), had at least 40% of their cameras incapable of catching speeding drivers. Derbyshire had the highest number of inactive speed cameras (93), leaving 78% of the devices inactive.

On the other hand, the West Midlands had only 5% of their speed cameras inactive, with 62 out of 65 devices in operation. Leicestershire had a total of 18 fixed speed camera sites, but only four were working, resulting in 78% of the devices being inactive. Cambridgeshire had 17 inactive speed cameras out of the 46 in the region (37% inactive), while neighboring Bedfordshire had only 8% of their devices operational.

Out of all the areas, only Dyfed-Powys in Wales and Suffolk had all their speed cameras in working order, but both police forces only had four devices each. Road Angel emphasized the need for action from UK police forces, councils, and the government to ensure that fixed speed cameras are fully operational. They highlighted government research showing that exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast is a contributing factor in 25% of collision fatalities.

Gary Digva, the founder of Road Angel, expressed shock at the high number of inactive speed cameras across the country. He warned that this allows speeding motorists to drive recklessly without consequences and called for local authorities and police forces to ensure that speed cameras are fully functioning. Digva emphasized that penalizing drivers who break the speed limit is crucial in promoting adherence to speed limits and reducing the number of dangerous drivers on the road. He concluded by stating that with such a high number of inactive devices, thousands of drivers are getting away with speeding every day.

Summary of Speed Camera Activity:

Northamptonshire: 8 total cameras, 0 active, 8 inactive (100% inactive)

Gwent: 31 total cameras, 1 active, 30 inactive (97% inactive)

North Wales: 12 total cameras, 2 active, 10 inactive (83% inactive)

Sussex: 59 total cameras, 10 active, 49 inactive (83% inactive)

Derbyshire: 113 total cameras, 20 active, 93 inactive (82% inactive)

Leicestershire: 18 total cameras, 4 active, 14 inactive (78% inactive)

South Wales: 86 total cameras, 21 active, 65 inactive (76% inactive)

Kent: 89 total cameras, 36 active, 53 inactive (60% inactive)

Essex: 110 total cameras, 50 active, 60 inactive (55% inactive)

Devon & Cornwall: 102 total cameras, 58 active, 44 inactive (43% inactive)

Humber: 33 total cameras, 20 active, 13 inactive (39% inactive)

Cambridgeshire: 46 total cameras, 29 active, 17 inactive (37% inactive)

Norfolk: 25 total cameras, 17 active, 8 inactive (32% inactive)

Cumbria: 22 total cameras, 17 active, 5 inactive (23% inactive)

Mersey: 16 total cameras, 13 active, 3 inactive (19% inactive)

West Mercia: 36 total cameras, 31 active, 5 inactive (14% inactive)

Avon & Somerset: 44 total cameras, 40 active, 4 inactive (9% inactive)

Bedfordshire: 97 total cameras, 89 active, 8 inactive (8% inactive)

Hertfordshire: 49 total cameras, 45 active, 4 inactive (8% inactive)

West Midlands: 65 total cameras, 62 active, 3 inactive (5% inactive)

Dyfed-Powys: 4 total cameras, 4 active, 0 inactive (0% inactive)

Suffolk: 4 total cameras, 4 active, 0 inactive (0% inactive)