A speed camera from the M11 in Essex has been blamed for a large amount of accidents, but the debate over the camera reaches farther than meets the eye since it also generates about half a million pounds per year.
Since the Essex camera was installed in 2000 causalities on the road have doubled and crashes have increased by about a quarter. While accidents are more common, the device is able to catch about 9,000 speeders per year which is enough to generate £500,000 annually.
Campaigners feel that the government refuses to take the camera down despite the high incident rate due to its earning potential.
The Information Commissioner forced the police to disclose the earnings for the camera from 2003 which shows that about 9,000 motorists a year are caught on tape.
By the year 2007 the number had dropped down to about 3,300 but it is expected that in 2009 the numbers increased again with the count up to May of this year reaching almost 6,500.
Five years before the camera was put in place on the M11 there were 14 casualties and 13 accidents along the stretch of the highway. Five years after its installation the figures increased to 16 accidents and 24 casualties.
The spot where the camera is placed is when the lanes narrow down to two from three and the speed limit decreases from 70mph to a low 50mph which the Highways Agency claims may account for the pattern of accidents in the area.
