The cameras, which are operated by the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, were switched off as a result of a withdrawal of funding by Oxfordshire County Council after Government cuts to the authority’s road safety grant.

Head of roads policing for Thames Valley, Supt Rob Povey, said: 'We think this is important because we know that speed kills and speed is dangerous.

'We have shown in Oxfordshire that speed has increased through monitoring limits and we have noticed an increase in fatalities the number of people seriously injured in 2010.

'We know that speed enforcement does work as a deterrent to motorists.'

The decision to switch the cameras back on has been supported by Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for transport, Councillor Rodney Rose.

Cllr Rose said: 'The county council did not delight in withdrawing funding for speed cameras last year, but took this decision to protect other service areas following a huge reduction in road safety grant from the Government. Other councils across the country took the same view.

'This local solution will ensure funding is properly aligned to support the service delivery and not subject to an external grant funding process. The new process will have a higher level of active engagement with drivers who speed and will be more successful in changing driver behaviour rather than simply trying to penalise offenders in the wallet.'

There are currently 72 fixed sites and 89 mobile sites in Oxfordshire.