FURIOUS drivers have slammed a region’s first 20mph speed camera as a ‘cash cow’ in a ‘rat race’ – after OVER 1,000 were caught on the first day.

The radar was launched for the first time this week on Old Laira Road in Plymouth, and at 20mph is the slowest speed detector in the entire Devon and Cornwall Police Force area.

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Before its introduction this week, the camera had an eight-week test period during which 23,500 road users were captured, including more than 1,000 on day one.

Although these drivers avoided prosecution during the test period, the 140 people photographed on the first official day of the camera were not so lucky.

“It’s an absolute nightmare, the limit is dangerously slow,” said Carl White, a cafe owner whose restaurant is near Old Laira Road.

Asked if he considered him a ‘cash cow’, Mr White said ‘absolutely’ – adding ‘I think they do everything they can to rob people’.

Because Old Laira Road is downhill, some believe it may now be more dangerous than before.

“You can see people looking at their dashboard rather than the road, it’s a bit silly,” says a delivery driver.

“People have a hard time staying at 20 mph.”

Another driver described it as “very hard to keep to that speed limit for that distance. People are looking at their speedometer all the time and not really concentrating on the road.”

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DIVIDED OPINIONS

Old Laira Road has a reputation as a ‘rat run’ used to avoid Plymouth’s busy main roads.

While some have slammed the camera as a ‘cash cow’, the new speed detector has also been a hit with many who live near the road and believe it will save lives.

Barry Nelms, who lives in the area, said: “Any of you who live on any of the roads between Old Laira Road and the Embankment can’t help but hear, or maybe to see, cars and motorcycles roaring along the Embankment at speeds well above the Speed ​​Limit.”

“We all love it,” said Al Stewart, a local resident who lives next door to the speedometer.

“The main thing is the noise, everyone on the street loves how quieter it is,” Mr Stewart added.

Local resident Sandra Warner agreed, feeling that the road is now “much quieter, a quieter pace and less noise, because people are coming out of the Embankment and using it as a rat race”.

One of the camera’s most popular perks is that it’s close to the nearby school, which many residents hope is much safer now.

A local said ‘it’s a lot better, especially with the motorbikes, and it’s a lot safer with people walking through the school’.

“There is a school at the end of the road and the children need to be safe to cross the road,” said another woman who lives nearby.

“I think it’s a good idea.”

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Devon and Cornwall Police said 48 people were killed on the force’s roads last year, and 793 seriously injured.

Speed ​​is a major contributor to car crashes, and in a devastating week that saw 7 people die on the roads of Devon and Cornwall, the new Old Laira Road camera is attracting particular attention .

“We don’t want to catch 23,500 people – we don’t want to catch anyone. We want people to obey the speed limit,” said Superintendent Adrian Leisk, Devon Traffic Chief and Cornwall Police.

The camera was also backed by Devon and Cornwall Police Commissioner Alison Hernandes who said: ‘Until the road deaths stop I will make no apologies for supporting speed cameras’ .