What You See May Not Be What You Get

If you live in Cumbria and fancy a bit of speeding one Sunday afternoon, probably best to first cross the border into adjoining Lancashire. A startling survey has revealed that only 10% of the county's 287 speed cameras are actually functioning correctly.

Given that the units operate on a number plate recognition basis, you would also stand a much better chance of evading detection for any other, perhaps more serious, crimes.

Of course, Cumbria has only 12 cameras to its name, but they are all in perfect working order. So beware!

Nationwide, about half of all cameras are not operational and those that are may not be working round the clock. This average also applies to the UKs' most intensive monitoring operation, by the Metropolitan Police in London.

A popular consumer magazine used the Freedom of Information Act to request the statistics for this alarming poll from all 43 police forces throughout England and Wales. Only Sussex, Cumbria and West Mercia were able to confirm a 100% integrity of their systems. Some police authorities refused to hand over the information, which could trigger a lengthy appeal process.

There may still be considerable deterrent value, however, in the faulty number plate spies. The same survey concludes that, although only 47% of motorists agreed that speed restrictions had a positive road safety role, a whopping 83% felt that their driving was tempered by the presence of cameras, working or not.

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