Cash plea for 'effective deterrent' MPs have demanded more speed cameras to prevent deaths on Oxfordshire's roads.

The county already uses cameras at 107 sites - 74 where cameras are fixed in place and 33 policed by mobile patrols.

Last week the House of Commons transport committee said it wanted to see more funding made available, so more sites could be covered by cameras.

In its report, Roads Policing and Technology, the transport committee said cameras were an "effective deterrent" to drivers breaking the speed limit.

It pointed to evidence that showed 42 per cent fewer people were killed or seriously injured in crashes at sites which had fixed speed cameras.

The committee urged the Government to improve the impact of speed cameras by using more advanced technology, such as average speed cameras, and better publicity campaigns.

The MPs described as a "disgrace" Department for Transport guidelines which stated that preventable deaths and injuries must occur at a location before a speed camera can be installed.

Committee chairwoman Gwyneth Dunwoody said: "The relationship between speed and collisions is so well proven that the casualty criteria requirement is unnecessary and even irresponsible.

"Evidence of excessive speed is evidence of danger and there is no need to wait for somebody to die before taking action to slow vehicles. It is clear that cameras are effective, good value for money, and well accepted by the public."

The committee also called for more police officers on the roads.

Mrs Dunwoody said: "We deplore the long-term marginalisation of roads police officers. Technology must support roads police officers, not replace them."

According to the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads where cameras were located fell by 44 per cent over the five years to 2005.

That compared with a 24 per cent reduction across all roads in the region.

The Government will respond to the report in full later this year.

Dan Campsall, of the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, said: "We welcome the opportunity to reduce the risks across a broader area of the road network, but cameras should only be placed where there is an identifiable concern."

He said the partnership was always looking at potential new sites for cameras.