Motorists are still strongly in favour of the use of speed cameras (78.7%), according to an AA Motor Insurance poll. However, a minority (6%) remain unconvinced and 55% of the public surveyed believe speed camera vans are primarily about the cash.

According to the poll, 78.7% of drivers are either fully or somewhat in favour of the ‘Go Safe’ speed surveillance system, a support rating which has remained virtually unchanged since last September, before the launch of the ‘Go Safe’ fleet.

On the other end of the scale, the number who ‘completely disagree’ with the cameras has increased. 6% of the 13,000 motorists recently surveyed by the AA would describe themselves as anti speed cameras, up 3.6% on last September.

“There is a minority out there who just don’t believe that speed cameras are being used for safety reasons,” says Conor Faughnan of the AA. “The ongoing challenge for the Garda and the RSA is to keep demonstrating their good faith. Motorists accepted cameras on the basis that they would be concentrated on black spots. We have to keep making the effort to convince the minority of doubters that this is what is happening.”

While ‘Go Safe’ operators are paid on the basis of enforcement and survey hours, not the number of speeding detections, many motorists are still not convinced that it’s a not for profit exercise. A slim majority, 55% of motorists surveyed by AA Motor Insurance, expressed a belief that the introduction of additional speed cameras is primarily about revenue.