The majority of motorists still back the use of speed cameras, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).
An IAM poll reveals that 80% of drivers accept speed cameras as a necessity on the roads; 1% less than the share of motorists who answered the same question last year.
Well over three quarters of drivers (79%) think cameras help to reduce injuries, but 85% said this in the 2012 survey.
In total, 52% of motorists say cameras are only placed where accidents tend to occur and just under half think they are simply there to raise money. The share of drivers that support speed awareness courses has risen from 70% to 75% between 2011 and this year.
RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: "Speed cameras are a familiar feature on the UK road network and are loathed and applauded by motorists and road users in equal measure.
"They are undoubtedly effective at making the majority of drivers stick to the speed limit and, in turn, help to improve the safety of motorists and other road users. However, it is often argued that fixed cameras create their own problems and can create a stop/start type of driving caused by sudden braking.
"The RAC's Report on Motoring revealed that 77% of motorists believe that speed cameras are more about raising money than improving road safety. But it also found that speed limit compliance has improved in recent years, probably due to motorists driving slower to conserve fuel."
The chief executive of the IAM, Simon Best, says speed cameras work well at known accident blackspots by reducing the number of crashes.
He admitted though that owning a car is expensive and in these difficult financial times many drivers are more likely to see cameras as money-making machines than a way to improve road safety.
Copyright Press Association 2013
