AVERAGE speed cameras placed on a main road from Hartlebury to Omberlsey to clampdown on drivers who flout the law have made a difference, say West Mercia Police.
The devices were installed on the A449 where the 50mph speed limit was frequently breached.
The cameras will operate 24 hours-a-day in a bid to reduce speeds, improve safety and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured.
In the past ten months since installation, 6,106 viable speeding offences have been detected and one slight injury collision has been recorded.
Speed data collected at the end of the first six month period of operation (November 21 to April 22) highlighted a reduction in both the average speed of traffic and the ’85th percentile speed’ – the figure 85 per cent of vehicles travel at or below during free-flowing traffic conditions.
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 and Crime Commissioner Road Safety Fund.
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.
Between April 2018 and October 2021, there were three fatal crashes, four serious collisions and five where people suffered minor injuries.
Since November 2021, there has been one slight injury collision.
Supt Steph Brighton from West Mercia Police 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 he was pleased the cameras he funded had led to a direct impact on improving road safety on the A449, reducing both speeds and the number of people killed or serious 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.”
He vowed – through his Safer Roads fund – to continue to work closely with residents, local councils and partners to invest in schemes which made roads in West Mercia safer.
Ongoing evaluation will continue and will inform future decisions over how this technology can be used in other areas of West Mercia.
