A NEW report has shown drivers are now committing up to four times more speed offences at fixed speed camera sites in Oxfordshire a month after they were switched off.

The report by the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership analysed the change in offence rates at six camera sites over the four weeks since the county’s 72 fixed speed cameras were deactivated on Sunday, August 1.

The camera site with the largest increase in offences was at Cumnor Hill/West Way in Botley.

The camera, now loaded with a dummy radar, recorded the number of speeding drivers increase from an average of 10 per day between 2007 to 2010 to 40.7 per day during a nine day period since the switch-off.

Two other camera sites showed that speeding offences increased more later in August as more drivers got used to the switch-off.

Earlier last month the speed camera site in Woodstock saw its average daily offence rate rise from 44.1 to 115.6 between Tuesday, August 10, and Monday, August 23.

That rate rose further to 134.2 per day between August 23 and Wednesday, September 1.

The speed camera at Watlington Road in Blackbird Leys also recorded increases in motorists speeding later in the month.

Partnership spokesman Dan Campsall said: “The results, although only at a limited number of locations for a short period of time, indicate that motorist do alter their speed choices when they know a fixed speed camera is not loaded.

“This study reinforces the need to carry out risk assessments prior to removing any cameras as we can clearly see that speeds will increase.”

County council spokesman Owen Morton said: “It is too early to draw meaningful conclusions.”