Road Safety Minister David Jamieson has called on Durham Police to explain why more people were being killed and injured on its roads.

County Durham has just one static speed camera. Its police force has up to now focused on mobile and hand-held cameras instead.

But 42 people died on its roads last year - an increase of 56% on 2001. The Durham force says it considers the figure a "blip" and is confident its approach is an effective long-term solution.

Recent government figures show forces which use static as well as mobile speed cameras, saw road deaths fall dramatically.

Should speed cameras be made compulsory for use by all police forces? Would it keep road deaths to a minimum?

This debate is now closed. Thank you for your e-mails. The following comments reflect the balance of views we have received:

No. There should be no speed cameras at all. They are designed purely to raise cash. Their impact on road safety is minimal. Traffic should be slowed down by speed humps on minor roads, where there are accident blackspots, and elsewhere there should be chicanes which control the traffic flow. Speed cameras are a cynical money making idea, and just another tool for the authorities to keep an eye on us.
Andy R, UK

I have five simple ways to help this ridiculous situation 1)Put visible speed cameras in dangerous areas and listed black spots 2) Educate children and pedestrians with large signs by lights etc, 3) Re-test drivers after 20 years of driving and those caught dangerous driving 4) Have more police in black spot areas and motorways every day 5)Introduce bans for life for drink drivers, joy riders, and anyone caught doing over 90 mph. These five things would surely reduce the risk of children and others being killed, pointless cameras are making peoples' perception of speeding worse.
Julia Kemp, Horley, Surrey

Yes. And stop painting them bright yellow! What's the point? It's illegal to warn other drivers of upcoming police speed checks and yet it's the law that signs must clearly show the presence of a speed camera. Stop warning people, start raking in the cash from fines and start banning the speed freaks. Less lunatics on the road, more revenue to make roads safer and easier to drive on and less great big yellow boxes blinding you with flashes as someone gets caught on the other side of the road. Everyone's a winner.
Andy Green, Plymouth UK

This is all completely illogical. Speed is only a significant factor in 7% of all road accidents. So 93% is due to bad driving and pedestrian error. I have yet to see a traffic policeman pull anyone over for poor lane discipline, for pulling out without looking, for overtaking on a blind corner, for going the entire way round a roundabout in the outside lane, for sitting in the middle lane of a motorway, for driving 2 inches behind other car's bumpers etc etc. If speed cameras reduce accidents how come they're increasing then? If they reduce speeding, how come so much money is being earned from them - that's not stopping it is it? From every single perspective, speed cameras have got to be the most irrational waste of time and money that exists on our roads.
Tom Franklin, London, UK

It's the perpetual speeder in this type of location who is the road menace Geoff Bray, Forfar

We should adopt the same measures as in the US, when the school lights flash, the limit is 20, and often overseen by a deputy Sheriff. It's the perpetual speeder in this type of location who is the road menace, this is where the cameras should be, not on clear dual carriageways and all should be fitted with film.
Geoff Bray, Forfar

I have campaigned for two years to get speed bumps put outside the nearby local community centre because young children and the elderly are frequently endangered by cars driving too fast for the design of the road. The council have refused to consider this. On the other hand the same council has a speed camera on a straight dual carriageway, in a non residential area, catching cars travelling quite safely at 47 mph. Seems like road safety is only important if it makes money?
Russ, Bristol

As a student about to take his driving test I don't understand what all the fuss about speed camera's. Surely if everyone travelled at the legal speed we wouldn't have this problem. The main problem with them is by making them noticeable, if you do that people slam the breaks on when they see it whereas if they are hidden people will not know where they are and should travel at the right speed (in an ideal world).
Theo, Haslemere

Most of the previous comments are missing a valuable point. The issue is whether speed cameras slow drivers down and improve driving generally. From the comments related to the amount of revenue that they generate suggest, they clearly cannot be working, otherwise they would not be making much money! The only thing that will save lives on the roads is VERY severe penalties for drivers causing accidents on the road, like they have in Norway. Knock someone down while crossing the road at a crossing - lifetime driving ban, automatically. Has the added benefit of getting all the lunatics off the road!
Ralph, Sowerby Bridge

More traffic police and not tax revenue cameras are what is required. How much attention is focused by drivers on the fear of cameras for being a couple of miles over the limit rather than the road - speed cameras kill and are simple yet another stealth tax. This is the oppression of the many for the crimes of a few.
E.PENDLEBURY, Ropley

If the government is serious about engaging drivers and actually making a difference to accidents they should only use speed cameras at REAL accident black spots. For those long haul trips, camera watching is fast taking over as the nation's alternative to I-spy.
Bryan, Scotland

Speed is obviously a factor in road deaths, as well as drinking, using mobile phones, and just bad driving. It is, however, the easiest thing to monitor because it's the car, not the driver that is detected. I don't think there is any argument against speed enforcement by camera, and arguing about where they should or shouldn't be placed is just skirting the issue. If you don't break the speed limit, you won't get penalised.
Paul Mullins, Surbiton

Every day thousands ignore the limits with no regard to weather or road conditions Peter B, UK

This is a situation of the Durham force not having sufficient duty of care. Its view that its death figures are a "blip" is disgraceful and I urge them to install static cameras asap. The law quite clearly lays down speed limits for all roads in this country and yet every day thousands ignore the limits with no regard to weather or road conditions. People complain about speed cameras and seem to accept thousands of deaths yet when one or two get killed on the railways their is public outcry can anyone explain this difference.
Peter B, UK

What we really need are anti-pedestrian cameras. The biggest threat on these dark nights on my motorbike journey from West to East London is from pedestrians. They just plough their way across slow/stationary traffic and never look at ANYTHING except the other side of the road. I have more close shaves from pedestrian red light jumpers than anything else. Where are the measures to protect traffic users from dangerous pedestrians?
Graeme, London

People are right in saying speed kills, but only in inappropriate situations. Measures should be taken to reduces instances of speeding in urban areas, streets around schools and accident blackspots. In these areas measures such as traffic calming may be more effective. A speed camera won't necessarily stop speeding outside a school but a big lump in the road will!
David, UK

I can't believe there are people saying speed cameras should be hidden! Do you want to stop people speeding or catch people speeding? Do you want drivers to slow down and avoid an accident or speed on and get caught by a camera just before running a child over? Get real - they should be highly visible and used in urban areas and accident blackspots only (and the fines collected should go to charity).
Matt F, Bristol

The speed limit of the road where the camera is located should be clearly displayed and also on the post where the camera is mounted. If the police do not show clearly the speed limit they are only out to make money. If they do it means that they are really interested in helping the motorist to keep to the limit. Anyway there should be a system of building up to the penalty of 3 points and �60 fine - say one or two warnings before the penalty and payment. The way it's done now is angled at 'getting the motorist'. Are speed cameras used on the Continent?
Martin Anderson Stuart, Kirkcudbright

It is possible to fit all cars with Satellite tracking systems, such as LoJack, that will automatically report speeding offences. You could speed on your way to work and come home to the fine in the evening. It would also save millions in insurance claim investigations if all cars were fitted with video cameras linked to a central monitoring system. Of course it wouldn't save lives.
David R, Plymouth

A little known fact amongst all those "I'm a good driver" yet speed brigade, especially those who invest in radar detectors. They are illegal even when not turned on in motor vehicles in France. If discovered you face a hefty fine with the possibility of your car impounded. Why haven't we adopted that Euro law?
Mick Downes, Erith

Speed cameras are good in dangerous places i.e. outside schools, junctions, etc Martin, Oxford

Speed cameras are good in dangerous places i.e. outside schools, junctions, etc. But only used in conjunction with more Police as cameras cannot 'capture' poorly maintained cars, drunk drivers, people reading or drinking behind the wheel. Life is dangerous, I have had more problems with cyclists with no lights and crossing against red lights, pedestrians wandering into and crossing the road without looking.
Martin, Oxford

More traffic police. Less "Trial by Camera" A rural village near me has been campaigning to have a camera installed as it is being used as a "Rat Run" so the police surveyed it for them. Worst offenders? The RESIDENTS! Enough said.
Danny

Speed Cameras are good at catching people in the act but really have no influence on the way people drive when not in areas of speed cams. They should be put in all areas to show that there is a serious effort, as long as there is proof money is being used to fund police departments.
Nick Fulcher, Calgary, Canada

Here in the States I have noticed that speed cameras are becoming popular for one reason only: generating revenue. Accident rates don't seem to be falling because of the cameras, but city coffers seem to be swelling, thanks to the cameras. Automobile insurance companies are making a pretty penny, too.
Shawn, North Carolina, USA

We should be doing whatever it takes to reduce the amount of drivers on the road. If it takes cameras to catch dangerous drivers in the act then so be it. Far too many people take for granted driving and see it as a right more than a privilege. And as a result, bad drivers get licenses and worse drivers get back on the road after drinking and driving charges. With less cars on the road a better more organized public transit system would be needed and would inevitably lead to cleaner air. It's a no brainer.
Billy, Cumberland BC, Canada

Yes their should be as many speed cameras as possible their is no excuse for speeding.
Niall Hewitt, Banknock

It is very clear from the comments here that the general consensus that state enforcement of what it believes to be best for us is the only viable approach to social issues. I cannot remember the last time that anyone mentioned personal responsibility. I appreciate that there is no personal responsibility in your wretched little country.
Steve, UK

Speed cameras should be allowed anywhere David Swaddle, Twickenham

Speed cameras should be allowed anywhere, provided that the local police force can demonstrate that it allows them to divert more money, manpower and resources to catching criminals in other acts.
David Swaddle, Twickenham, England

Come on - they're better than speed bumps!
Sarah, Reading, UK

Personally I do slow down if I know a speed camera is ahead - but that takes the whole point away. If speed cameras are going to reduce speed on more than a few stretches of road they need to be unmarked!
Bill, UK

My village has a limit of 30 mph for about 500 yards because of the village primary school. The usual limit is 50 mph. Everyday I am passed by people doing 50-60 mph during drop off and pick up times. All these people that say that speeding is not a crime. Would they be happy if I could not stop in time because I was speeding and ran one of their children over?
Mike G, Peterborough

No, and No. There is no evidence that supports the assertion that speed cameras reduce fatal accidents. There is, however, ample evidence that they raise revenue - I wonder why the government want them so much? More traffic police would be a much better thing to reduce the incidences of downright dangerous driving that we meet every day.
Steve Hamilton, Braintree, Essex

By speeding you are breaking the LAW, simple, no if and no buts Lisa, UK

After reading a lot of the messages people have written, I'm shocked, why do you have a problem with this? Speed kills, i do believe the money taken from speed tickets should be spent on the road and not go into a big pot of money and wasted. By speeding you are breaking the LAW, simple, no if and no buts, if you break the law you have to face the consequences which is speeding tickets or ban, therefore I believe they should be speed camera on all main roads.
Lisa, UK

How about educating the pedestrians about the dangers of jay walking and telling children how to cross the road - there would be much less accidents if these people looked where they were going too! It takes two to tango!
Shawn, Blackpool

Make sure the speed limits are reasonable, then enforce them with all you've got. The technology is there to apply the law everywhere all the time, no more cat-and-mouse. Small tickets for 10mph above the limit, huge fines for 20mph above, licence withdrawal for 30mph above.
Leszek Luchowski, Gliwice, Poland

If 70+MPH on a UK motorway is so dangerous why are the accident statistics in France (82mph), and Germany (unlimited on some roads) similar to ours? Does a different law of physics apply in the UK?
John, Watford

Why so many speed cameras? Because motorists can't be trusted to drive within the speed limits.
John, Walsall

I am from Ukraine and completely for using speed cameral everywhere. It is quite obvious to improve the situation on the roads and hope in future, one day, a couple of speed cameras will appear in our country too...
Taras, Kiev

Speed obviously affects the impact of any collision, but the key issue is avoiding accidents. Drivers should always ensure that i) they're concentrating on the road, ii) they follow the Highway Code, and iii) they can stop within whatever stretch of clear road they can see in front of them. If they do that, then accidents will only happen if something veers out in front of them, or if there's some mechanical failure.
Dai, Wales

I agree with the police: drivers slowing down en masse when they notice speed cameras is just as dangerous as speeding. More subtle ways should be employed to catch offenders.
Maddie, England

Yes speed cameras should be everywhere. I have absolutely no sympathy with people who break the law and behave as though they are the victim when they are caught.
Jane, Wales, UK

Speed cameras in the right place are a good idea, but on straight fast roads - who are they protecting? Stuart, London

Speed cameras in the right place are a good idea, but on straight fast roads - who are they protecting? The best use of cameras would be at red lights, and box junctions for safety and to keep traffic flowing. Cyclists who always jump red lights without looking for other motorists or pedestrians are much more dangerous than a driver doing 35 in a 30 zone, but nobody seems to care - I can guarantee at least one near miss with these idiots every day, and I'm the one following the highway code.
Stuart, London

I saw some idiot behind me reading a newspaper while driving his car. He swerved across the white line a couple of times and nearly hit me. How does a Camera capture these kinds of people.. More Traffic Police is the answer, funded by strategically and logically placed cameras.
Paul, Berkshire

There is no evidence that Co. Durham's recent rise in death has anything to do with speeding drivers, the police have been using mobile cameras after all. The Government is using speed cameras as another form of taxation - and that's why they are so quick to complain.
Bill, Ulster

these do nothing to help people slow down to avoid accidents, they are just there to make money rather than help road safety, what is much better are the boards that are moved around and read out your speed to you - at least these make you aware of how fast you are going and encourage you to slow down, surely that reduces accidents more??
CHRIS ADLEY, Gravesend

I challenge anyone who drives who says they do not break the speed limit. Most cars are not that happy at 30MPH driving in 4th gear and 30 - 40 MOH seems to be the norm. It is excessive speed that kills and this is not it.
Mr D Morris, Romford

Of course, on a motorway someone doing 69.9 mph is a safe driver, someone doing 70.1mph is dangerous? Get real. People bump into each other when walking - speed doesn't cause accidents. Of course our badly designed roads, badly designed and poorly maintained cars may have something to do with it.
Dave, England

So speed doesn't kill eh? Explain this then - at 40mph nine out of ten pedestrians hit by a car will be killed, at 30mph it drops to five out of 10, but at 20mph only 1 out of 10 will be killed. And if it is a money making scheme then why not foil the "plan" by driving at appropriate speeds and not getting caught - that way the government don't get any money at all - you don't need to be a genius to work that one out. And yes, I'm all for speed camera's.
Rachael, UK

There is no evidence that they make the areas where they are used any safer John, Birmingham

I thought that we paid for the service that the police provide through income tax. So why is there a need for these cameras to generate revenue for the police. There is no evidence that they make the areas where they are used any safer, therefore they must be used to generate cash. I wonder if we will see a cut in income tax to reflect the increase in revenue generated form cameras if they are placed on all roads?
John, Birmingham

Speed does kill! The faster you go the less time you have to react. People are complaining about this being another money grabber - so what if it is, you don't need to worry about it if you don't break the law.
Wayne, Aberdeen

At some point in any one day I probably break the speed limit and do it unashamedly. When I get caught, I pay. On the other hand, having paid road tax, if I travel too slowly, shouldn't the road authorities be liable for a fine. Given the "waste" of fuel due to traffic jams shouldn't they be made accountable for this?
Tim Rollinson, Tonbridge, UK

When I realise I am driving past a speed camera (by seeing the markings on the road) it is my natural reflex to brake, regardless of whether or not I am driving too fast. Many other drivers have also told me that they do the same. Speed cameras are all well and good in areas where there are pedestrians, but I am greatly disturbed by speed cameras appearing on stretches of motorway. A sudden, unexpected braking of the car in front at 70 or 80mph is bound to cause serious accidents!
Helen, London

One point that seems to have been missed is that the consequence of inappropriate speed does not need to be death or injury to have a harmful effect on society. Many legitimate road users, particularly young cyclists and pedestrians have been effectively frightened off the roads by speeding traffic. This is why so few children make their own way to school nowadays causing consequential problems of childhood obesity and lack of independence
Mark Fairman, Matlock

The police should be out there patrolling the roads Neil, Surrey

The money raised from speed cameras should be used to provide more police patrols, especially on the motorways. The driving standards in this country are poor. I drive all over mainland Europe and they are not as bad as this country. The police should be out there patrolling the roads and be strict about policing even the basics of driving a car that most people have forgotten since passing their driving tests.
Neil, Surrey

These speed limits were introduced way back when a cars stopping distance was probably around three or four times longer than modern cars today, today's cars are safer than they have ever been. As has already been said here, why aren't the cameras positioned outside schools and the like. No, instead they are positioned strategically to generate revenue, we had two cameras on some recent road works on the M5 and we have been lead to believe these two cameras generated over a million pounds in revenue. Instead of generating revenue why don't the police go out there and catch some real criminals, or is that too dangerous?
Dave P, Cullompton, UK

If it can be proved that the speed cameras elsewhere in the UK are effective in reducing road deaths or accidents, then the police force should be "forced" to use more than just the one. They may very well be operating an effective long-term approach on this subject, but where safety of people is concerned, that just isn't enough. It's a sad fact that there are just too many inept drivers on our roads, and people need protection from them. So - keep going with the long-term strategy, but get a quick-fix in to keep people alive in the short-term. It's a no-brainer.
Joe, Newbury, UK

If these things aren't a cash cow then i challenge the authorities to drop the fine to zero. They could up the penalty points to four from three, so it would be 3 strikes and you're out. They should also link the cameras to the DVLA database to log untaxed cars at the same time. Fines for driving untaxed/uninsured vehicles could cover the cost of the cameras.
Dave Hough, Nottingham

I am someone who thinks that they should not be used at all so no I do not think that they should be on all roads.
Nina, UK

I'm all for anything that reduces deaths on our roads, but the cameras are there to make money not save lives Dave, UK Portsmouth

It's not the motorist doing a few MPH over the limit that kills it's the bad drivers who I see every day weaving in and out of traffic, its the idiot playing with his radio whilst driving past a school, or the bumper huggers on the motorways. But of course its harder to capture these clowns, I'm all for anything that reduces deaths on our roads, but the cameras are there to make money not save lives, don't see many cameras outside our schools or residential estates.
Dave, UK Portsmouth

County Durham police must be ashamed of themselves for only having one static speed camera. With more and more people being killed on our roads each year speed cameras Should be made compulsory and there should be a lot more of them.
Mar Caldwell, Liverpool

I think you are all letting England become more and more like a police state with this whole camera deal.
Dee Schwartztag, USA.

More people are killed in the home than on the roads, yet we don't ban people living in houses. What is needed is realistic speed limits to suit the conditions at the time. What's the point of having to drive at 50 mph on some of Scotland's motorways, then being allowed to do 60 on the A80, or A77 which are much more dangerous? There is a clearer need for more traffic police to catch drunken or dangerous drivers than more speed cameras.
Alastair Nelson, Johnstone

I have nothing against speed cameras but I object to the way their position is usually obscured or camouflaged. WE all speed, as you can see on any motorway today, no one is only doing 70mph and if you do 80 everyone still overtakes you. The ultimate view is that all cars should have speed limiters or smart cards that send an automatic signal to the police whenever the car goes over a speed limit.
peter, Hong Kong

Make the sentence for traffic offences resulting in death a life sentence, i.e. until the offender dies in prison with no chance of parole whatsoever. Force the offender's property to be sold and the proceeds given to the victim's family. For other traffic offences make the punishment a two year ban from driving, with a compulsory retest before being allowed to drive again. Enforce these sentences rigorously. Watch the number of fatalities drop rapidly.
Andrew, London, UK

This is surely not a question that has to be asked; we either break the law or follow it. Speed cameras protect innocent people and punish those who decide to break the law. If you have nothing to hide, then you've nothing to fear.
Gary Chatterton, Leek