British speed cameras are largely fakes

Seems that Britain's reputation as the most surveilled place on the planet is vastly overrated. The Telegraph reports that two out of five cameras are actually switched off. But the mere presence of cameras "scares" drivers, police say. A Met source told the Mirror: "Loads of cameras were put up in the '90s but when new guidelines were set out six or seven years ago about where Gatsos could be put, loads of them didn't meet the criteria. They have been left in place to scare motorists. They have a deterrent effect and encourage safe driving."

But anti-camera advocates say all the cameras just make people speed when there are no cameras in sight.

Claire Armstrong, co founder of Safe Speed, said: "They create the wrong attitudes. People go past them and speed up to 37 mph in a 30 zone. Inactive cameras only encourage bad driving."