According to a new poll, UK motorists believe sped cameras need to by upgraded.

IAM RoadSmart is urging the police to take notice of UK motorists. They are calling for better utilisation of roadside enforcement equipment. Speed cameras can be improved to detect whether vehicles have valid insurance, MOT and Vehicle Excise Duty (often referred to as road tax). With lower traffic police numbers on the roads, this would help deter as well as catch offenders

The research reveals that nine-in-ten (90%) motorists, who were surveyed as part of the charity’s annual Safety Culture Report, backed the idea that speed cameras should also be used to catch drivers who are flouting various motoring regulations.

Estimates suggest that someone is injured every 20 minutes on UK roads by an uninsured driver*. Meanwhile, more than a quarter of motorists don’t even know when their vehicle’s next MOT is due, while there’s around 630,000 unlicenced vehicles in the UK.

Proven technology

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, says: “These results paint a very clear picture. Law-abiding motorists are in favour of the police using existing equipment to help make our roads safer by catching motorists who think the rules don’t apply to them.

“Of course, the primary purpose of catching speeding motorists is paramount. But it should not be overlooked the suffering that drivers of vehicles which are uninsured, unlicenced and without a valid MOT can cause other road users.”

A fine deterrent

Meanwhile, further findings from the in-depth research of motorist attitudes discovered support for instant penalties. An overwhelming majority, (82%), supported using cameras to automatically fine drivers who run red lights in urban areas.

Alongside this, 80% of motorists were in favour of using cameras to automatically fine speeding drivers. Those driving more than 10mph over the speed limit on residential streets were highlighted.

Neil added: “There is no excuse for speeding, driving uninsured, unlicenced or without a valid MOT. If speed camera partnerships are issuing speeding tickets, they should also follow up on a wider range of offences. This is backed by the vast majority of drivers. Getting law breakers off our roads could significantly help reduce the number of casualties”.