The county council in Oxford recently switched off their speed cameras and almost immediately the cameras have been replaced with speeding vehicles with no concern for the law.

The A44 Woodstock Road, in Oxford, was an ideal location for the technology as the cameras actually acted as a deterrent and prevented a lot of speeding, however now that they have been removed Carla Bramble, of Woodstock Road, said, “Cars belt along as fast as they like.”

Although the cameras are now not being used to fine speeding drivers, for 5 days after their termination they did record the average speeds of drivers. The findings actually indicated that people sped 18% more than before the shutdown.

Ellen Booth, a spokeswoman for the road safety charity Brake, is critical of the decision.

“The government is saying that it is up to local councils and that they have not made anyone turn any cameras off. What we are saying is that if the Government cuts road safety funding, the cameras are going to be switched off,” she commented.

Critics are angered by the decision as a recent report indicates that cameras can cause a 70 percent decrease in speeding and a 42 percent reduction in fatal accidents.

Chief Constable Mick Giannasi of Gwent Police said, “With budgets being cut, it is likely we will see other areas going the same way. I know that Wiltshire is set to follow suit.

And yes, we will still have officers with speed guns and officers in vans, but it is not going to have the same impact as speed cameras. It is unrealistic to think we can replace a system that has been removed.”