Average speed cameras in West Yorkshire have been shown to reduce
speeding offences by three quarters.
A set of new cameras covering Stanningley Bypass in Leeds have
captured 911 offences in their first year which is down from
4,077 the previous year using fixed static spot speed cameras.
The dramatic improvement in safety will undoubtedly mean lives
saved as national
figures show speeding contributes to around half of all
fatal collisions in Britain.
To put that into context, in 2023, 50 people were killed in road
collisions in West Yorkshire and a further 1,400 people had their
lives changed forever due to serious injuries.
Beyond the immeasurable human tragedy there is also a financial
cost to society, with each fatality on our roads estimated to
cost £2.4m.
Safety cameras are used in West Yorkshire to enforce speed limits
and red-light traffic signals.
They are managed by the Safety Camera Partnership,
who launched a new strategy in February 2023 outlining their
commitment to saving lives through preventing crashes.
It included that cameras may be deployed with or without the use
of warning signs, reducing risk by encouraging safe speeds
throughout the county and not just in the vicinity of cameras.
The strategy also set out the ability to respond to speeding
concerns from members of the public through what's known as
community concern sites.
Anyone worried about speeding in their local area can report a
community concern site through their local council. This
information will be assessed and can lead to different
interventions, but if suitable, mobile safety cameras will be
deployed.
We visited a community concern site in Farsley and spoke to local
people who were supportive of the scheme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTSkqd90m9s.
Paul Jeffrey, police lead for the West Yorkshire Safety
Camera Partnership said: “Average speed enforcement is
reducing the risk of collisions, and we are working with local
highways teams to extend the use of this technology across West
Yorkshire.
“Additionally, by responding to community speeding concerns and
deploying safety camera vans, we are seeing significant
reductions in the number of offences detected after the initial
deployment phase, suggesting a notable increase in road safety.
“Reducing risk through education remains a priority in dealing
with lower-level offences. Between April and December 2024,
110,196 eligible drivers were offered an approved retraining
course as an alternative to prosecution.
“We remain committed to working with communities to prevent the
human tragedy associated with speed related collisions as part of
our contribution to achieving our Vision Zero
ambition.”
West Yorkshire Vision
Zero was officially launched last year and aims to prevent
road death and serious injury in the region, reducing casualties
to zero by 2040.
The unifying goal is backed by local authorities, emergency
services, National Highways and victim support services.
OBE, Chair of the West
Yorkshire Vision Zero Board and Deputy Mayor for Policing and
Crime, said: “Everyone has a right to be safe on our
roads and no-one has the right to put others in danger.
“Too many people are missing loved ones because of speeding
drivers. These tragedies are wholly preventable, and safety
cameras play a crucial role in that.
“Through Vision Zero, we want to encourage everyone to do their
bit, but for those that will continue to speed, you will be
caught sooner or later.”
Notes to editors
A compilation video of some of the offences captured by the
Safety Camera Partnership can be seen here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XC5tGpSzFI.
Stanningley Bypass Data
The data from the new average speed cameras covers 1st
December 2023 – 1stDecember 2024 - their first year in
operation. The data from the fixed static spot speed cameras
covers 1st September 2022 – 1st September
2023 – their last full year in service.
