Thursday, 18 November 2010 09:26

Three quarters of AA members now accept the use of speed cameras, according to a new AA Populus poll of 18,251 AA members. Acceptance levels have increased from 69% in the last poll to a record high of 75%, despite or perhaps because of, talk about “war on the motorist” and the scrapping of cameras.
 
These figures are revealed on the day that Oxfordshire seems to be reaching agreement to switch their cameras back on. Support in Oxfordshire for cameras is running at 77% perhaps because residents and drivers were shocked by the increase in speeding since the cameras were turned off.
 
Commenting, Edmund King, AA president said: “The AA has been monitoring the public acceptance of cameras for ten years and the level of acceptance has been around 70%. This latest poll shows the highest levels of support ever. Perhaps speculation about turning off more cameras has ironically led to greater support. We hope that these findings are taken into account when Government and local authorities are prioritising spending for the future.
 
“We have always said that cameras are just one part of the solution to make roads safer.  We also need to see wider police enforcement of dangerous driving, better engineering of accident blackspots and more comprehensive driver education.”
 
Question
It is now common for the police to use speed cameras at the side of the road to identify vehicles involved in speeding offences. How acceptable do you think this is?
 
Poll  15-23 October 2010

Acceptable 75% (including 30% saying very acceptable)
Not acceptable 24% (including only 7% saying not at all acceptable)
Greatest acceptability from women 82%                                                         
Male acceptability 70%                                                                                        
 

Poll November 2009

*Acceptable 69% (including 24% saying very acceptable)  Up 6%
*Not acceptable 30% (including 10% saying not at all acceptable)  Down 6%
*Acceptability (women) 80%  Up 2%
*Acceptability (men)  63%  Up 7%

Little variance of acceptability by age.
 
In terms of regions/countries greatest level of acceptability is in Scotland 80% followed by south at 77%, lowest level of acceptability in Wales 70% followed by West Mids at 72% and E Mids at 73%.
 
Greatest acceptability:
 
Scotland 80%
South 77%
Eastern 77%
South West 76%
N Ireland 75%
NE 75%
Yorks / Humber 74%
E Mids 73%
NW 73%
London 73%
W Mids 72%
Wales 70%
 
AA/Populus Poll 15 – 23 October 2010 (18,251 responses).

* AA Populus Poll 5-12 November 2009 (14,848 responses)