THOUSANDS of drivers have been caught speeding on the A449 in Worcestershire since new cameras were installed just under a year ago.
There have been 6,106 viable speeding offences detected and one slight injury collision recorded since the bright yellow cameras went live on October 31, 2021.
Speed data collected at the end of the first six-month period of operation (November 21 to April 22) highlighted a reduction in the average speed of traffic on the 50mph dual carriageway.
The project is a partnership between West Mercia Police, Worcestershire County Council and speed technology firm Jenoptik and was made possible through funding from West Mercia Police & Crime Commissioner Road Safety Fund.
BREAKING: Dramatic moment truck bursts into flames closing A449 in both directions
The cameras differ from traditional ‘spot speed’ cameras by monitoring a vehicle’s average speed over a stretch of road rather than at a single, fixed location.
Drivers are less likely to brake suddenly for a camera and are more likely to keep their speed down over a longer period, throughout the monitored zone.
READ MORE: Schoolgirl with long Covid barely able to walk despite initially having no symptoms
READ MORE: Cage fighter appears in court for stealing beauty products
Between April 2018 and October 2021, there were three fatal, four serious and five slight injury collisions on the 50mph section of the A449.
Since November 2021, there has been one slight injury collision.
Superintendent Steph Brighton said “We are pleased to see reductions in both speed and in people killed and seriously injured on the A449 in Worcestershire and this was exactly what this project set out to achieve.
"However, we are not complacent and we will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of this scheme as well as working with our partners to identify ways to maintain the safety of the road, to ensure we keep communities safe and protect people from harm.
"We urge all motorists to help us by driving or riding safely, complying with the speed limit and sharing the road responsibly.”
Police and crime commissioner John Campion said: “I am pleased to see the average speed cameras, I have funded, having a direct impact on improving road safety on the A449 in Worcestershire with a reduction in speed and in people killed and seriously injured.
“Too many people die or are seriously injured on our roads due to inappropriate speed and driver behaviour.
The data recorded over the past 10 months proves that the cameras are playing in a key role in influencing and changing driver behaviour in a positive way.
"Through my Safer Roads fund, I will continue to work closely with residents, local councils and partners to invest in schemes that make roads in West Mercia safer.”
Ongoing evaluation will continue and will inform future decisions over how the technology can be used in other areas of West Mercia.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel