MORE THAN half of motorists do not believe that the proposed system of speed cameras will be used fairly for road safety purposes, according to the results of a panel survey of AA motorists.
The Government, working through the Garda, is preparing for the introduction of automated speed cameras, expected to be in place by the end of 2009.
Over half of the 5,300 people surveyed said they believed the new cameras would not be used fairly and would essentially be used as "electronic bounty hunters", according to AA spokesman Conor Faughnan.
"The notion of a private company operating speed cameras has made people sceptical. It's up to the gardaí to prove it's not just a money-making exercise," Mr Faughnan told RTÉ's Radio One.
Gardaí have said they would be used to make the roads safer and would not be deployed simply to raise funds through fines.
The survey showed a substantial divide in opinion between men and women. Some 38 per cent of women said they believed the cameras would not be fair, in comparison to 61.5 per cent of men.
Those surveyed were contacted via e-mail by AA, through the company's mailing list scheme. Leinster, Ulster, Connacht and Munster were all represented.
"It's an extraordinary difference . . . Essentially, women seem to accept Garda assurances about speed cameras, but men overwhelmingly do not," Mr Faughnan said. "It's hard to say why. Men tend to be higher mileage drivers overall and would therefore be more likely to be affected by the cameras, but I doubt if that is the full explanation."
The AA has been working with the Government to assure motorists they will not be penalised as a result of the new cameras. The organisation has been lobbying for set criteria of rules and restrictions for the cameras before they are set up, hence making the system as fair as possible.
The AA said fines should not be relied upon to fund the system, and the designated locations of cameras should be decided by An Garda Síochána, not the private firm. "The only measure for the success of the scheme should be reduced road collisions. Maximising fines should not be incentivised," argued Mr Faughnan.
Last year, he said, had been "a good year for road safety, but the Government and the Garda need to heed the warning that people are cynical and unconvinced about speed cameras".