Council says A614 speed cameras are ‘cutting collisions’

The cameras were installed earlier this year on the A614 between the A60 Leapool roundabout in the south and the A616 Ollerton roundabout.

Over the last five years there were 283 people killed or injured in accidents on the A614 and the authority pledged to put in measures to make the road safer.

In addition to the cameras, improvements were carried out to signs and road markings and a lower 50mph speed limit was introduced.

Now, figures worked out on a pro rata basis for the first four months for which data is available following installation of the cameras show a marked decrease in accidents and injuries.

Sauzanne Heydon, county council group manager for highway safety, said: “As it is only four months since data became available it is too early to draw any concrete conclusions regarding the influence of the cameras on collisions and casualties.”

“We normally like to wait until a whole year’s data has been gathered, but things are looking good.

She added: “To date, the average number of reported injury collisions per year, worked out on a pro rata basis, has decreased since the cameras have been installed from 33.7 per year to 27.0.

“Similarly casualties have decreased from 56.1 per year to 39.0. There have been no fatalities since the cameras were installed.”

Where these cameras have been used elsewhere in the county there has been an 80 per cent reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured.

Coun Richard Jackson, chairman of the county council’s transport and highways committee, said: “Although it’s too early to draw any concrete conclusions, these cameras are proving year-on-year to be a known and effective method of reducing casualties both countywide and nationwide.”

“It’s early days but this is good news – they’re doing exactly what we expected them to do.”