Welsh drivers are the least supportive of proposals to pay for operating speed cameras using income from speed awareness courses, according to Public Opinions of Speed Cameras, the latest research report from road safety charity the IAM.

The survey of more than 1,000 respondents shows that the new funding idea has the support of 28 per cent of Welsh drivers, compared to an average Great Britain approval rating of 48 per cent. The most supportive region is the North East with 63 per cent support.

For Wales the survey also shows a 68 per cent approval rating for cameras in general, compared to a Great Britain average of 79 per cent. The most supportive region is London with an 85 per cent rating, the least supportive the North East with a 67 per cent rating.

Nationally 70 per cent of motorists agree that speed awareness courses are a better idea than prosecution or fines. Sixty per cent of Welsh drivers agree with this.

Fifty per cent of Britain's motorists think that raising money is the main reason for cameras (20 per cent did not express an opinion either way). Sixty per cent of Welsh motorists think that making money is their main priority. Londoners are the least likely to think that this is the primary aim of speed cameras (48 per cent agreed making money is not the main priority).

Eighty-one per cent of all respondents think that speed cameras contributed to falling road death rates over the past decade and nearly half of all respondents think that road deaths and serious injuries would increase if cameras were turned off.

IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: "Plans for funding speed cameras are clearly controversial, but the good news is that the majority of motorists understand their benefits.

"Support for driver training is lower in Wales than elsewhere, but the majority of motorists still agree with it.

"The IAM believes that prosecuting and fining drivers does not improve driving skills or awareness of the hazards that come with speed. Training would reduce the number of casualties and prosecutions.

"While most motorists want speed limits to be enforced, many continue to believe the motivation for speed cameras is to make money. In times of cut-backs to police budgets, speed cameras are an essential part of the policing toolkit, but it's clear that the public need reassuring about their purpose and future funding."