PARAGON Car Finance has criticised police and highway agencies over massive increases in the number of drivers convicted of speeding, calling it 'a cause for concern' for fleet drivers' livelihoods. The company sounded the alarm bell after a national newspaper report that five speed cameras along the M2 in Kent had become Britain's most successful speed trap, snapping 33,000 drivers in eight months and paying for the £100,000 installation cost in little more than a fortnight.

Julian Rance, Paragon sales director, said accident black spots should not be used by the police as revenue generation spots. He said: 'Fleet drivers cover more miles per year than any member of the general public and most of them are highly responsible and professional people. They know their lives and licences depend upon their skills behind the wheel and would not jump lights or drive beyond a speed dictated by conditions - sometimes well below the legal limits. But if they get an endorsement due to being flashed by a camera hidden behind a tree at 2am on a clear motorway, they will view it as irrational and clearly unfair.'

Rance added: 'I am not in favour of any driver breaking the speed limit, but a balance that is a win-win situation for everybody should be found. Fleet drivers should not be penalised by the current trend that seems to be turning speeding fines into a form of revenue generation, which could, through 'totting up endorsement points', put an extra 3,000 drivers off the road next year.'