Research has discovered that 80% of UK speed cameras lead to ‘hard braking activity’ – when drivers slam on their anchors in a bid to avoid a fine.
The analysis by telematics company Wunelli defines ‘hard braking’ as a change of speed of 6.5mph or more over one second. That’s aggressive enough to propel a bag on the passenger seat into the footwell.
The speed camera most likely to result in hard braking is located close to the end of the M4 motorway, heading into central London – followed by one on Rochdale Road in Middleton, Manchester.
In third place is a camera heading north out of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, on the Leighton Buzzard road.
On average, the research found that hard braking increases on average by 689% in locations with speed cameras.
Wunelli founding director, Paul Stacy, said: “These findings question whether speed cameras are serving their purpose as a road safety tool or whether they are instead encouraging poor driving behaviour.
“Driving behaviour analysis is now possible on a range of vehicle factors. If you wanted to identify which car driver is least likely to be involved in an accident based on the driving behaviour we have recorded, they would be the owner of an estate car, gold colour, four-wheel drive and about £10k in value.”
The 10 speed camera sites most likely to trigger hard braking
10: Watergate Bank, Consett Road (A692), Gateshead
9: Western Avenue (A40), Ruislip, west of A4180 junction
8: A4010, High Wycombe
7: Chester Road (A556), Mare, Knutsford, Cheshire
6: Garstang Road, Bilsborrow, Preston
5: Iver Lane (B470), Uxbridge, Middlesex, London
4: B5206, north of Shevington, Wigan
3: Leighton Buzzard Road (A4146), north of Hemel Hempstead
2: Rochdale Road, Middleton, Manchester
1: M4, eastbound, near Boston Manor train station, London