Intranetics Motoring News Service

Speed cameras catch road works racers

17th August 2007 | BACK     PRINT

Throughout this week, the Highways Agency is calling upon driver to consider the safety of road workers who spend a great deal of time in dangerous environments working to improve safety conditions for all users.

It is perhaps timely then that a new report shows that just under 900 motorists have been caught speeding at a set of roadworks in the Suffolk area - in just five short weeks. The figures, which were supplied by Suffolk SafeCam, the local speed camera safety partnership, applied to a stretch of the A12 at Bucklesham, the Evening Star reports.

Speed cameras snapped 876 offenders as they raced through the reduced speed zones brought into effect while workers attempted to carry out improvements. And a local politician has reacted angrily to the numbers, stating that they are much too high.

Guy McGregor, Suffolk county council's portfolio holder for roads and transport, told the publication: "This number of offences is totally unacceptable.

"Most drivers understand why reduced speed limits are in place but unfortunately there are always some who feel that the rules don't apply to them."

"The traffic management in place is there for good reason, to protect our workers from danger and to keep the public safe as they drive through the road works," he added.

Figures released by the Highways Agency showed that 19 road workers were injured last year, while two individuals lost their lives carrying out their duties.

In order to combat the potentially unsafe drivers who are travelling down the Suffollk road, the council is set to bring in further measures to catch out those who flout the traffic calming measures brought into force. The new-style average speed cameras, which track a motorist's velocity through a set pair of points and produce reports accordingly, are to be installed across the entire length of the works.

However, this type of speed camera has come in for fierce criticism in the past, with commentators suggesting that they cause danger, as speeding drivers slam on the brakes after passing the first set of points in a bid to drastically reduce their rate of movement to bring down their average.

And motorists in the area will have further temporary speed limits enforced upon them in the coming future, with the westbound carriageway of the A14 on the Orwell Bridge limited to 50 mph, 24 hours a day, over the weekend.

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