I was reading a very interesting article regarding road safety yesterday. The RAC is woried about the level of signs and cameras and other distractions on the roadside that drivers are expected to contend with, and considers that it has become so intense in places that road safety is actively compromised by the proliferation of distractions.
The point is made of speed cameras that the criteria for locating them is simplistic, just 4 serious accidents in the location over 2 years, but no account is taken of the accident cause. The point is made that if, for example, accidents have been caused by a dangerous or badly planned junction, adding a camera is not going to do anything to increase safety, but quite the reverse as drivers instead will be checking their speedo, not looking out for the hazard.
It's becoming very clear that not only are speed cameras purely revenue generators, they are also seen as a cheap cost saver as they are used to replace expensive Police and proper redesign of dangerous roads.