"Making Gatsos more visible will cost lives"

That’s the claim made by safety expert Paul Pilkington in the latest issue of the influential British Medical Journal.

He says that the Government is wrong to make the cameras more visible, and says that the hidden cameras are a proven life-saver.

The Government feared that the policy of hidden or camouflaged cameras was alienating the nation’s motorists. So last year it announced that future cameras would be highlighted with high-visibility paint and it banned warning signs on roads where there were no cameras.

But Pilkington says that drivers simply drive slowly in areas with cameras and accelerate in those without the deterrent.

He said: ” Hidden cameras are associated with net falls in speeds, crashes and casualties when compared with visible ones.

” The introduction of high-visibility cameras is a mistake. We need more evidence that they are more effective than hidden cameras. ”

But a Department of transport spokesman rejected this, saying: ” Cameras are situated in areas where there is a history of accidents. When people see cameras ahead they do slow down.

” And making them more visible takes away the need for sudden braking. ”

What do you think? Does Pilkington have a point? Click on the link on the right to let us know your views