The majority of AA members believe that road improvements are the key to road safety, rather than speed cameras.

As Swindon Borough Council announces that it is to review its spending of almost £400,000 on speed cameras, the AA has published a survey that reveals almost 75% of its members believe improvements to roads and junctions are more effective than speed cameras in making roads safer.

Speaking on the BBC’s Today programme, Swindon Councillor Roderick Bluh explained the council’s view on speed cameras: “We’re using the opportunity to review how the money was spent and it could be possible that the money could be spent more effectively on permanent road calming measures and flashing signs etc, rather than funding the [Wiltshire and Swindon Safety] Camera Partnership for speed cameras…

“It’s perhaps worth reviewing the system and seeing whether we can spend the four hundred or so thousand pounds a year on permanent measures.”

The AA’s survey of almost 17,500 of its members revealed that the majority were in agreement with the council, with only 4% believing that more speed cameras would make UK roads safer.

Edmund King, AA’s President, commented that the organisation saw the value in arguments both for and against speed cameras: “Cameras are just one weapon to use in the road safety fight. Our problem with them is that quite often they are seen as the first and last resort. Sometimes a simple junction improvement would be far more effective than the placing of a camera, which leaves the dangerous junction still in place.”

According to the poll, six times as many people would prefer to have more traffic police on the roads than an increased number of speed cameras.