Drivers have demanded that the Government display the number of people killed next to each fixed speed camera site.

Cameras can only be installed at sites where four or more people have been killed or seriously injured, or where there have been eight crashes resulting in injuries in the previous three years.

A number of North-East motorists have questioned the criteria, claiming many accident blackspots are ignored by the policy.

The drivers submitted their ideas to Transport Minister David Jamieson and these included asking for more and clearer warnings of the cameras, and flashing speed reminders. As part of The Journal's Safety First series last summer, the AA visited each of the 39 cameras across the region - looking at the effectiveness of the sites and how good they were at preventing accidents.

They concluded that more than a third did not fit the exact criteria, and recommended looking at alternative ways of cutting crashes.

The motorists, who put forward proposals as part of a Share Ideas Day - an initiative from the RAC Foundation - echoed the findings.

They claimed that engineering solutions could improve blackspots which were not speed-related.

Association of British Drivers North spokesman Nigel Humphries welcomed the calls and challenged the Government to be honest about speed cameras. He said: "I'm glad to see these drivers have done this - what is disgraceful is the way Speed Camera Partnerships have been reticent to release details of the accidents at the sites.

"The accidents could have occurred half a mile from where the camera is and we want to see clear evidence for each camera that going at 40mph in a 30mph zone is causing the crash."

Mr Humphries claimed cameras should only be put in areas where people had been killed by speeding, not by drunk or drug-influenced drivers.

He said: "We are not interested in accidents by a drunk driver in a stolen car.

"These deaths or injuries bump up the numbers and are not down to speeding.

"The police record full details of each accident, and we are looking forward to using the Freedom of Information Act to find out which accidents are caused by speeding."