London to get 'all-seeing' speed cameras which catch drivers trying to avoid road limits
Clever technology: the cameras will detect motorists who slow down then speed up (Picture: Geoffrey Robinson / Alamy)
David Williams, Motoring Correspondent Published: 28 November 2013 -Updated: 10:51, 28 November 2013
New speed cameras that cannot be cheated by motorists who step on the brakes to avoid being flashed are going up across London.
The average-speed devices outwit drivers who slow down and then speed up again by measuring a vehicle’s speed along a stretch of road, using a network of cameras.
The “all-seeing” devices are being set up by Transport for London to eradicate accidents at gaps between existing, but obsolete, spot cameras.
The four trial sites are on the A406, Hanger Lane to Bounds Green Road; on the A40, Polish War Memorial to Paddington slip road; on the A2, Black Prince to Tunnel Avenue; and on the A316, M3 to Hogarth roundabout.
TfL chose sites where it believes there will be “demonstrable casualty reduction benefits over and above those… achieved by like-for-like replacement of spot speed cameras”.
Spot cameras at the four sites prevent an estimated 16 “killed or seriously injured” accidents a year. But over the past three years 145 such accidents have occurred on the routes in gaps between the cameras.
Transport for London believes that the new cameras will prevent an additional 17 “killed or seriously injured” accidents a year, moving London further towards the Mayor’s target of reducing these accidents by 105 a year.
A report to TfL’s finance policy committee, which this week approved spending on the trial, said members had “concerns about the public acceptability” of the new cameras.
The report said the Mayor wanted the average speed cameras installed at a limited number of sites to “further assess their operational benefits”. The trial routes were chosen because they are high-speed, multi-lane roads with high levels of traffic and speed limits of 40-50mph.
Four other potential sites have been chosen but TfL will first monitor the initial four for two years.
AA president Edmund King said: “The deterrent effect of certain fixed cameras has worn off as some regular commuters tend to increase speeds in between the fixed cameras.
“We believe drivers will accept these new cameras as long as they are clearly signed as average speed cameras on these four routes.”
This is curious they say 'cameras to stop speeding between cameras' and then say average cameras? Are we to believe that they are to leave the Gatso's and add average cameras? Or CCTV to oversee the Gatso's ? ... Curious too that they say 'drivers will accept' - no, they will become more frustrated and then disperse to other roads when possible to preserve their licences.
In rush hour the most accident prone times (most dense and largest volume) traffic is slower than the speed limit anyway.
Sad that they seem totally unable to grasp such simple facts, and realise the av cams will do nothing to improve road safety, but lots to degrade people's driving ability even further !