The Highway Code should be changed in order to make Britain's roads safer, it has been claimed. According to campaign group FIT Roads, traffic lights should be removed so motorists are less inclined to speed through them and take their eyes off the road.

The group also added the lights maximise fuel use and emissions by forcing drivers to stop and start and increase congestion by making motorists queue rather than filter naturally.

In a statement the organisation said: "Traffic lights flout basic safety principles by taking our eyes off the road. They encourage us to speed as we try to avoid another red. All in all, they spell trouble."

Last week, a police crackdown in Gloucestershire caught three drivers speeding through Cheltenham town centre.

One car was seized and seven drivers were instructed to fix a minor problem with their vehicle as a result of the sting, which has reduced speeding in the county, according to Gloucestershire Constabulary.