Figures released by Police Scotland under Freedom of Information have shown that the number of speed cameras in Scotland have dropped despite a reported rise in the numbers of road deaths, says the Daily Record.
The numbers of speed cameras in use across Scotland has dropped despite a rising death toll on the roads, according to shock new figures. Data released by Police Scotland under Freedom of Information show that 120 cameras are currently non-operational, a drop of almost 25 percent.
Though still in place, the 120 cameras instead have a “Not In Use” cover over them. The ones that have been taken out of service are mainly for speed detection (86), but also include cameras used to catch motorists who go through red lights (25). The remaining nine are used to catch both speeders and red light jumpers.
Last year the number of speed cameras across Scotland was reported as 493. However according to Safety Cameras Scotland, the number now sits at 372.
Provisional figures released by the Scottish Government agency Transport Scotland in June showed an increase in road fatalities between 2023 and 2024.
In 2024 there were 160 deaths, up from 147 in 2023. The overall increase was due to car fatalities, which rose from 57 to 74. Motorcycle fatalities also increased from 27 to 31.
Three leading motoring organisations said the cameras were vital in reducing deaths and accidents on the roads with one calling for more traffic cops to target speeders.
Luca Straker, campaigns manager at Brake, the road safety charity, said “Every day, five people die on UK roads and many more have serious, life changing injuries. Speed is one of the biggest killers on our roads. It’s a factor in one in four fatal crashes. We see first-hand the devastating impact of road deaths and injuries through our work supporting road victims including those across Scotland.
“Safety cameras can be an efficient, cost-effective way to catch speeding drivers. But in the first instance, we would strongly urge every driver to adhere the speed limits every time they are on the road.”
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