Speed cameras have long been a contested feature of the UK’s road safety landscape, first introduced in 1992. Supporters argue they are a proven tool for reducing speeds and casualties, while critics suggest they punish drivers without addressing underlying behaviour and act as ‘cash cows’.

Recent research from Co‑op Insurance and Go.Compare, alongside long‑term evidence from Transport for London (TfL), provides an opportunity to assess their effectiveness using data rather than perception.

Co‑op Insurance analysis, drawing on DVLA figures, suggested “there has been an increase in the number of driving offences committed” with speeding remaining the most common motoring offence, as penalty points went up by 12%.

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), a meta-analysis of sites from the College of Policing in 2023 into the effectiveness of speed cameras demonstrated a reduction in collisions resulting in injury and severe or fatal collisions.

Yet the BBC reported in December 2025, that “National Highways said it had found 2,650 wrongful speed camera activations since 2021 due to a delay between cameras and variable speed signs.”

Evidence from slower speed limits in London

Evidence from TfL confirmed that lower speed limits can have a sustained impact on road safety. TfL’s long‑term research into 20mph limits in London found, “that people killed or seriously injured on borough roads reduced by 34 percent following implementation of 20mph speed limits.”

TfL’s wider assessment of 20mph limits and zones also revealed that collisions are less likely at 20mph, the speed limit helps to prevent the most severe injuries when collisions do occur, and 20mph limits do not increase journey times.

Lilli Matson, TfL's Chief Safety Health and Environment Officer said of the initial research: "It is brilliant to see the long-term analysis in this report. It contains hugely important findings which show the difference that 20mph speed limits have made to road safety in London, and we are able to fully understand the impact of road safety measures across the city over a longer time span. Lower speed limits save lives.”

There is, however, a financial dimension to enforcement that affects public perception when it comes to speed cameras. Go.Compare research indicated that a speeding conviction increases car insurance premiums by an average of 23%, adding around £90 a year to the cost of cover. Across the UK, this equates to an estimated £291m in additional premiums paid by drivers with speeding offences. 

From a policy perspective, rising detection rates and higher insurance costs do not necessarily indicate a worrying trend. Instead, they may reflect improved enforcement accuracy and stronger deterrence.

Image: cars travel past a speed camera in Stoke on Trent. Credit: Shutterstock.