Only around half of all fixed speed cameras are actually switched on, according to data released by the police.
The UK has 45 police forces, of these four have no fixed speed cameras and 13 have less than 50 percent of their cameras active, the MailOnline reports. The figures don't include the mobile cameras that police use.
In total, out of the 2,838 fixed speed cameras in the UK, only 1,486 are in use, a Freedom of Information request has shown.
But if you're now thinking, 'I like those odds', then think again, because police have said they regularly review which cameras are operational so just because you've managed to avoid getting snapped by a certain camera in the past, doesn't mean it will stay like that.
Credit: PA
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Amongst the forces with no active cameras is Northamptonshire, which said it switched off its fixed speed cameras in April 2011, but kept them up in an attempt to deter drivers who might be thinking about speeding.
In Greater Manchester, Kent, West Yorkshire, Cheshire and South Yorkshire fewer than a quarter of cameras are switched on.
London, Suffolk, Nottinghamshire, Lancashire and Northern Ireland said all their cameras were in use.
Unlike, Staffordshire, which revealed that of its 272 cameras only 14 are active.
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Nine of the forces asked refused to hand over the information or didn't respond.
Brake, a road safety charity, has said the figures are 'concerning' and has urged the police to switch all of the cameras on.
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Speaking on behalf of the charity, Jason Wakeford said: "A staggering 1,800 people lost their lives on British roads last year and speeding is a factor in thousands of crashes.
"Speed cameras are a proven, cost-effective way of reducing deadly collisions and so it's critical they are operational."
President of the AA Edmund King said budget pressures are to blame for the high number of out of action cameras. He said: "Many of the empty yellow cases are due to cuts in road safety grants and the fact that digital cameras, although more effective, are very expensive. It is also reflective of the fact that proceeds from cameras are no longer allowed to be ring-fenced to be reinvested into yet more cameras as now all the money goes to the Treasury."
A spokesperson from the National Police Chiefs' Council said each force was responsible for their own use of speed cameras.
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Sources: MailOnline; BBC
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Police, UK News, Speeding