THE deep loathing expressed in some quarters for speed cameras is, these folk would have us believe, a fair reflection of public opinion in this country.

They portray cameras as rapacious cash cows preying on long-suffering motorists, highlighting the vast sums being generated by these little yellow boxes.

The cameras, the argument goes, don't actually stop motorists from speeding. Drivers just speed up as soon as they have passed the cameras anyway.

What cannot be argued with, however, is the fall in the number of accidents along those stretches of road that have seen cameras installed.

New figures from West Mercia Safety Camera Partnership show that accidents involving death and serious injuries have been reduced by 66 per cent on sites that have had a camera installed.

The relationship between speed and road crashes is straightforward - as speeds go up, the likelihood of crashes goes up. The reason is simple - increased speeds are not accompanied by increased thinking and reacting speeds. Because of this, the distance needed for responding and braking increases with speed.

Across the whole of the UK last year, the road toll was half the number of children killed or seriously injured back in 1987. Why? Because, since then, cameras have taught us to slow down and respect the speed limits on our roads. Or we have to face the consequences.