Roads set for more cameras

New speed cameras could be located on some of the Fylde coast’s most dangerous highways.
Watch your speed! Average speed cameras can track a motorist's speeding behaviour over several miles.Watch your speed! Average speed cameras can track a motorist's speeding behaviour over several miles.
Watch your speed! Average speed cameras can track a motorist's speeding behaviour over several miles.

Lancashire County Council revealed this week that service providers from across the county are investigating whether to install “average speed cameras” on the area’s most accident prone roads, where speeding has led to deaths or injuries.

These cameras, more commonly used on motorways and main A roads, can track a driver’s speeding behaviour over miles rather than at a single checkpoint.

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The crackdown comes as a report, published earlier this week, showed fatal and serious accidents cost the county some £544m in the three years to 2013.

It also detailed how the county is home to some of the most dangerous roads in Britain. A County Council spokesman said: “The Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety is currently considering the use of average speed cameras in a number of locations where there is a record of deaths and injuries caused by excessive speed.”

The Partnership comprises the county council, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen Councils, Lancashire Constabulary, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, the Highways Agency and the Courts and Tribunal Service.

County Coun John Fillis, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said his council is due to spend more than £48m on road safety work.

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He added: “Reducing casualties on our roads is a priority for the county council.”

Overall county roads have become safer – the average number of people killed and seriously injured was 873 between 2005 and 2009, whereas between 2010 and 2014 it was 655.

But numbers have started to creep up after a low of 570 in 2012.

There were 642 fatalities and serious injuries in 2013 and 732 in 2014.

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There are almost 300 static camera sites within Lancashire, 186 within LCC boundaries.

In addition a mobile camera enforcement team of 10 technicians works across the county, using eight liveried enforcement vans. An AA spokesman said the average speed cameras are used on rural roads with multiple problems.