An RAC Foundation study finds average speed camera coverage is on the rise across the UK
A new study carried out by Road Safety Analytics, on behalf of the RAC Foundation, found that there was a 50 per cent coverage increase of average speed cameras on UK roads last year.
According to the RAC Foundation, more than 250 miles of UK roads are now monitored by permanent average speed camera systems. The research found that 12 systems were installed throughout England, Scotland and Wales in 2015, bringing the grand total to 50 average speed camera systems throughout the country.
Average speed camera systems have increase by 50 per cent in the UK
Before 2013, approximately 113 miles of UK roads were covered by average speed cameras, which are designed to slow down motorists to a road’s speed limit over a long distance, rather than at a single point, like regular speed cameras.
Many of the newly installed systems have been set up in accident prone areas, including the A9 in Scotland, which now has the longest stretch of road in the UK that is monitored by average speed cameras.
The Scottish Government installed the system along the A9, which runs from central Scotland to the far north of the country, to help prevent fatal motoring accidents. The statistics from Transport Scotland suggest that, in this respect, the system has been a big success, as fatalities along the road dropped by 25 per cent in the year following the installation.
According to the RAC research, the recent increase in average speed camera coverage is due to the decreasing costs involved. In 2000, when such systems were first introduced, the installation per mile cost a staggering £1.5m. However, the costs have dropped significantly to £100,000 per mile.
Steve Gooding, a RAC Foundation director, said: “…average speed cameras have greater potential to bring drivers on side. Clearly a high compliance rate means a very low penalty rate and hence both road safety and drivers’ wallets could benefit from greater use of these systems in appropriate places.”
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