They have been abused, derided, spattered with paint and even firebombed. But the 5,200 bright yellow speed cameras scattered around Britain's road network save more than 100 lives a year, according to an independent audit published by the government yesterday.
In an attempt to head off a backlash against his policy of placing cameras at accident blackspots, the transport secretary, Alistair Darling, revealed the results of the first in-depth study of every traffic camera in England and Wales.
It concluded that the devices encourage drivers to slow down by an average of 2.4mph. They result in a 71% drop in the number of vehicles speeding and avert 870 deaths or serious injuries annually.
It found that just one in 20 cameras was failing to cut accident rates and estimated the economic benefit to the country at £221m.
Mr Darling said the study, by PA Consulting and University College London, proved that "cameras save lives" and indicated that motorists were likely to face even more flashes.
"Up to 10 people are killed on our roads each day," said Mr Darling. "We owe it to them and their families to do everything we can to improve road safety even further."
The government views cameras as a crucial weapon in its effort to reach a target of cutting serious road casualties by 40% within a decade.
But the audit failed to con vince motoring campaigners, who have accused the government of emphasising "zero tolerance" automatic enforcement while reducing the number of traffic police officers. Some critics claim the cameras are a revenue-raising exercise.
Edmund King, of the RAC Foundation, said: "We support the use of cameras at accident blackspots and junctions but many motorists remain to be convinced that they're used in the right way."
He urged the government to introduce speed awareness courses rather than simply levying fines and penalty points on errant motorists.
"All the evidence suggests that speed awareness courses are much more effective as a deterrent than just getting a ticket," said Mr King.
Known as a Gatso after its inventor Maurice Gatsonides, the first fixed speed camera was fitted to London's Twickenham Bridge in 1992.
The number of cameras has rocketed since 2000, when the government allowed local authorities to claim back the proceeds of speeding fines, as long as the money is ploughed back into road safety.
Yesterday's audit concluded that just 245 cameras - one in 20 of the national total - was failing to reduce accidents. The Department for Transport said these could either be removed, made more visible or moved to a new location.
Richard Brunstrom, the chief constable of North Wales police, has been described by the tabloids as the "mad mullah of the traffic Taliban" for his hardline crackdown on boy racers. North Wales achieved a 68% drop in casualties at camera sites, followed by Lancashire with 58% and Norfolk with 56%.
But a handful of police forces including Surrey, Merseyside and Durham are refusing to participate in the government's camera "partnership" scheme.
Durham's chief constable, Paul Garvin, has argued that drinking, drug-taking and carelessness are more important than speeding in causing accidents.
His view is shared by Paul Smith, founder of the anti-cameras group SafeSpeed, who said: "These cameras are just designed to catch responsible motorists who have never had an accident but are going a few miles per hour over the speed limit."
The government's top transport adviser, Professor David Begg, said anti-camera groups had been proved wrong.
Prof Begg, who chairs the Commission for Integrated Transport, said: "Today's report proves that speed kills, that cameras reduce speeds at accident spots and that, most importantly, they prevent injuries and save lives.
"If critics continue to make dishonest claims about the impact of speed and speed cameras, they will end up with blood on their hands."
Ten of the best speed cameras...
Figures are for average deaths and serious injuries per year
Location / before / after
A1, Ellesley, Notts / 13.7 / 0.7
A6514 Ring Road, Nottingham / 15 / 7.5
A33 Basingstoke / 16.3 / 7
A27 Fareham / 11.7 / 5
A23 Streatham Hill / 9.7 / 3
Western Esplanade, Southend / 6 / 4.3
A4138 Hendy, Wales / 5.7 / 2
A47 Lingwood / 5 / 1
A652 Bradford Rd, Batley / 6 / 3
A3 West Hill, London / 8 / 3
...and 10 of the worst
Location / before / after
B4051 Park Row, Bristol / 12.3 / 20
A40 Western Avenue, London / 2.3 / 6
B480 Watlington Road, Oxford / 0 / 2.6
A511 Swadlincote / 3 / 7
Tintwistle, Derbys / 8 / 10
A5025 Menai Bridge / 0.7 / 4
A61 Halifax Rd, Sheffield / 3.7 / 6
A630 Balby Flyover, Doncaster / 7.7 / 10
A62 Manchester Rd, Huddersfield / 0.3 / 6
A420 Lawrence Hill, Bristol / 1 / 6
Casualty reductions per area:
N Wales -68%
Lancashire -58%
Norfolk -56%
Cambridgeshire -55%
Northamptonshire -46%
Thames Valley -43%
Warwickshire -42%
Strathclyde -34%
Nottingham (City) -33%
Staffordshire -30%
Lincolnshire -18%
Derbyshire -17%
Average -40%
· Figures are for reductions in deaths and serious injuries at camera sites in areas involved in the government's speed cameras scheme for at least 18 months
