Speed cameras in the UK did not reduce speeding between 1994 and 2006, according to official Department for Transport (DfT) statistics released today. Officials reported that, last year, about 53 percent of motorists exceeded the posted limit, up slightly from 1994 where 47 percent of drivers were speeding and speed cameras were not in widespread use. Only 30 MPH speed zones showed a significant reduction, primarily as a result of changes in data gathering implemented in 2002.

"Department for Transport are playing 'let's pretend' with road safety and with our lives," said Safe Speed founder Paul Smith. "Their own figures show that speeding is ten times more commonplace on the roads than in the crash statistics. That proves that there's an awful lot of vehicles out there exceeding the speed limit in perfect safety."

The following chart shows the percent of motorists found speeding in DfT studies in 1994 and 2006:

Road type	1994	2006
Motorways	47%	53%
Dual Carriageways	40%	45%
Single Carriageways	10%	10%
30mph speed limit	69%	50%
40mph speed limit	31%	27%

Smith cited DfT statistics showing only five percent of injury accidents involved speeding cars to suggest the government's overwhelming emphasis on speed is misplaced. Smith's petition to end speed camera use has gathered 20,000 signatures on the Prime Minister's own website.

"Speed cameras have failed to influence behavior," Smith said. "They have failed to make the roads safer. They have stolen life saving resources at every level in our road safety system and made the roads more dangerous."

The statistics for 2006 are available in an 84k PDF file at the source link below.