It also revealed that 82% of people now believe it is acceptable for authorities to use speed cameras. However, 45% think raising income is still a main reason for their use.

Data obtained following Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to road safety partnerships show that in England there are currently 3,026 fixed speed camera housings, but only 487 have operational cameras.

In the UK, there are around 6,000 enforcement cameras, including those on motorways and trunk roads; 2,500 of them are mobile speed cameras.

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Although there are many more housings than cameras, it seems that the cameras are regularly rotated between them ensuring there is some level of positive enforcement at most sites.”

Meanwhile, recent research has highlighted the fact that speed limit offences (fixed penalty notices, convictions in court and written warnings) in England and Wales have declined rapidly in the past few years after a large rise in the 1990s.

While much of the recent decrease in offences (about 60%) could reasonably be put down to better speed limit compliance, the rest could largely be due to more drivers being offered speed awareness courses, according to Dr Kit Mitchell.

Cumming concluded: “Speed is a factor in a huge proportion of crashes, resulting in death and life changing injuries.

“Drivers must slow down to reduce the risk of crashing, and to reduce the likelihood of death or serious injury if a crash does occur.”