A new study has found that 90 per cent of motorists want speed cameras to check for vehicle tax, insurance and whether they have a valid MOT.
Those are the findings from road safety charity IAM Roadsmart, which is urging police to make better use of cameras detecting speed to ensure drivers are following the rules and are behind the wheel of roadworthy vehicles.
Figures from the Department for Transport suggest that someone is injured by uninsured drivers every 20 minutes, while worryingly more than a quarter of motorists are unsure as to when their car’s MOT expires, too.
Other findings in the charity’s annual Safety Culture Report highlighted more drivers supporting cameras being used for other road fines, with 82 per cent supporting them being used to fine drivers running red lights, particularly in urban areas.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, said: “These results paint a very clear picture. Law-abiding motorists are in favour of the police using existing equipment to help make our roads safer by catching motorists who think the rules don’t apply to them.
“Of course, the primary purpose of catching speeding motorists is paramount but it should not be overlooked the suffering that drivers of vehicles which are uninsured, unlicenced and without a valid MOT can cause other road users.
“There is no excuse for speeding, driving uninsured, unlicenced or without a valid MOT. If speed camera partnerships are issuing speeding tickets they should also follow up on a wider range of offences and this is backed by the vast majority of drivers. Getting lawbreakers off our roads could significantly help reduce the number of casualties caused by motorists with no regard for their motoring responsibilities.”
