Speed cameras and "traffic calming" measures were introduced into Wirral, UK in an effort to reduce the annual road toll by 40 percent. Instead, the number of traffic deaths has jumped from 156 six years ago to 204 last year, a 31 percent increase. Wirral serves as a key route for tourists traveling between Liverpool and Wales.

Police blame the increased deaths on young drivers and motorcyclists. Tony Vickers, a spokesman for the Association of British Drivers, blames an over reliance on camera enforcement. "They claim younger drivers are partly to blame for the increase but why should younger drivers now be more prone to crashes than they were 10 years ago?" Vickers said.

Key Statistic:
By last year, the number of deaths and serious injuries had shot up to 204 despite pounds 390,000 being spent on safety schemes by the local authority each year.