SAFETY CAMERAS ON A77 SHOWING POSITIVE EFFECTS IN FIRST YEAR
Road safety bodies responsible for improving safety on the A77 in South Ayrshire are highlighting the effects shown by the SPECS average speed safety camera system during its first year of operation. The system was installed in July 2005 as part of a co-ordinated road safety plan for the road between Bogend Toll, north of Ayr and Ardwell Bay, south of Girvan.
Figures just released by the Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership show that there has been a marked change in driver behaviour on the road, with a massive drop recorded in the number of vehicles exceeding the speed limits. There is also a significant reduction in personal injury crashes, particularly for those involving fatal and serious injuries.
Chief Inspector Andy Orr of Strathclyde Police, commented: “We are greatly encouraged by the experience of the past year. The purpose of the cameras, which were launched in 2005 with a blaze of publicity, is to encourage drivers not to speed on this road where there have been so many tragic crashes in recent years. Speed monitoring over the period shows huge reductions in the number of vehicles going over the speed limits - 80% fewer on dual carriageway and 75% fewer on single carriageway - than before the cameras went in.”
He continued: “Ideally, there would be no offenders but there will always be some people prepared to take risks and we have had to penalise 123 speeding drivers since last August but this is a tiny proportion of the many thousands of drivers using the A77 every day. Almost everyone is taking the message on board.”
Hugh McCafferty of Transport Scotland, who chairs the A77 Safety Group welcomed the news: “The safety camera system is one of a range of measures that are being taken to improve safety on the A77 and it seems to be having the effect we hoped for, with drivers complying with the need to watch their speed. Feedback from the local community has also been very positive as speeding has been a serious concern for the people who live by and use the road regularly.
“One year is far too short a time to make accurate casualty comparisons but the early indications are most encouraging. Seen against the average of the same period over the previous three years, the one year results show a drop in personal injury accidents from 53 to 41 and fatal/serious injury accidents from 14 to down to eight. While any level of casualties is regrettable, this is very much a move in the right direction.”
Statistics for Year 1 of SPECS system on A77
PERSONAL INJURY CRASHES
2002/3 - 2004/5 Average
Fatal = 3
Serious = 11
Slight = 39
TOTAL = 53
KSI’s = 14
2005 - 2006
Fatal = 1
Serious = 7
Slight = 33
TOTAL = 41
KSI’s = 8
SPEEDS
Position at the end of June 2006 against April 2005.
Dual carriageway 80% reduction in number exceeding limit
Average speed 60mph (70 limit for cars)
Single carriageway 75% reduction in number exceeding limit
Average speed 50 mph (60 limit for cars)
OFFENDERS
Aug 2005 - July 2006 Total for year 123