New figures underscore the cost of speed cameras, as the level of cynicism among drivers is confirmed, with many motorists increasingly viewing the roadside yellow
boxes as little more than revenue-raising devices.

Speed cameras are costing motorists in England and Wales up to £150 million a year through the combined cost of fines and increased car insurance premiums. Research commissioned by Swift Cover car insurance revealed that drivers are paying out in excess of £114 million a year in fines. Added to this is the increased premium charged by many insurers following a speeding conviction, estimated at £36 million a year, and drivers are paying out £150 million to compensate for their speeding lapses.

In total it was found that 2.2 million drivers are convicted for speeding every year, almost half of these having been caught by roadside cameras. Many experts credit the escalating number of speed cameras with the corresponding rise in speeding convictions, with speeding fines up 328 per cent over the past decade, which has also seen the UK's speed camera network swell to 6,000.

Unsurprisingly given this cost, speed cameras do not rank highly among a list of drivers favourite things. Around two-thirds of those surveyed thought speed cameras were "mainly" installed to raise revenue, with just 13 per cent agreeing that they are the best way to encourage safe driving.

In fact, many argue that speed cameras actually encourage unsafe driving, with Swift Cover claiming that they have encouraged a trend for 'yo-yo driving', whereby drivers speed up between cameras and then slam their breaks on at the last minute to avoid a fine. Indeed, almost six in ten of those surveyed admitted to driving in such a manner, with a further 54 per cent blaming them for encouraging erratic driving.

The majority of those questioned said that speed cameras were a distraction on the road, increasing their chances of an accident rather than encouraging safer driving, with over seven in ten admitted to paying more attention to speed cameras and their speedometer than potential hazards. In contrast, many drivers argued that they would actually be safer if allowed to continue speeding, with seven in ten of those convicted for speeding claiming that they had been driving safely for the conditions of the road at the time.

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign, said that he was not surprised by the findings, having been warning for years that speed cameras make the roads more dangerous.

He also said that the latest figures undermine the government's argument that speed cameras have public backing, describing their claims as "misleading".

"The government claims that 80% (or so) of people support speed cameras. This survey (conducted under proper conditions by a reputable professional polling company) proves, once again, that government figures are highly misleading," he said.

"Please listen, Mr Darling and Dr Ladyman; We don't want your cameras. We don't believe they make us safer. We don't have any faith in your road safety policies. Bite the bullet, admit that speed cameras don't work, and let's get back to real road safety policies. Your infernal cameras are killing us indirectly, because, at best, they replace genuine life-saving road safety policies," he pleaded.