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UP TO two thirds of speed cameras in Wales may be switched off at any given time, figures uncovered by Wales on Sunday have shown.

On one random day earlier this month, just 68 of the 198 fixed speed cameras across the nation were actually switched on, according to the figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.

And 30 of the operating speed cameras were within the South Wales Police area, leaving much of the rest of Wales untouched by functioning cameras.

Three months ago the national road safety body, Go Safe, announced a review into the effectiveness of speed cameras in reducing accidents, after English councils such as Swindon cut their speed camera budgets.

Ellen Booth, campaigns officer for road safety charity Brake, said the daily functioning of cameras was vital to their purpose.

She said: “We obviously want to ensure that cameras work as a real deterrent so it’s important that drivers believe that there is a significant chance of being caught if they drive past them and speed.

“It’s important that a decent proportion of them are switched on at any one time.

“We are all facing economic hardships at the moment and that will make a difference.

“When you take speed cameras, you are talking about technology that has been proven to reduce casualties – that’s people’s lives, and people having life-threatening injuries. It’s an important issue and it’s not an area that I think we should scrimp on really.”

But Claire Armstrong, co-founder of Safe Speed, said the presence of speed cameras, whether operating or not, was a dangerous and unnecessary distraction for drivers.

She said: “To our mind, the presence of the fixed speed cameras does nothing for road safety.

“There are many reasons why that has an adverse effect on the driver and it alters their attitude and approach to what otherwise might be good, safe driving.

“When you concentrate on a specific area of the road, i.e. a speed camera, you are taking your eyes away from the road and looking at your speedometer and may easily miss a crucial piece of information.

“Missing those hazards as they develop does nothing for road safety whatsoever.”

However, she said she was dubious about the reason for the proportion of cameras functioning that day.

She added: “It could be that they don’t have film in – not all of them have been digitally updated.”

Dr Anthony Beresford of Cardiff Business School, said: “Road accidents as a general trend have reduced and you could argue the need for the cameras has been overtaken by a combination of financial constraints and a greater readiness to obey the law.

“If people do get caught, the penalties are points on the licence or a corrective course, and people don’t particularly like that.

“But perversely the more they obey the speed limits, the more redundant the cameras become.

“The cameras are not like a speed camera sign which, once it’s up, it doesn’t cost any money.”

The latest statistics for 2009 show there has been a 42% reduction in the number of killed or seriously injured casualties at camera sites in Wales since cameras were introduced – exceeding the UK Government’s target of 40%.

Jim Moore, Go Safe manager, said: “Over the past few years, we have rationalised our operations. The number of mobile camera sites has halved and a review of our fixed camera sites is already under way to determine if this is still the most effective and appropriate form of enforcement at each site.

“Every week, we receive requests for cameras to be used in areas where people are concerned about the excessive speeds being driven through their neighbourhood – proof that they are recognised as an effective way of speed reduction and making roads safer for everyone.

“The decision to cease safety camera enforcement is one that cannot be taken lightly. The use of safety camera technology has contributed significantly to the success that has been achieved in road casualty reduction over the past decade and without it, there will no doubt be a deterioration in driver behaviour and compliance with speed limits.”