New data has revealed a “dramatic” drop in the number of fatal and serious crashes on a key route through Devon and Cornwall following the installation of high-tech cameras.
Over the last five years, the A38 between Dobwalls and Bodmin in Cornwall has seen an impressive 45 per cent reduction in serious collisions since a new speed camera scheme was introduced.
The cameras were installed in 2020, when there were 22 fatal or serious collisions on the A38 in the five years prior, which had fallen to just 12 in the five years after.
As part of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership, the cameras were installed by National Highways in collaboration with Devon and Cornwall Police and Cornwall Council.
Vision Zero South West aims to halve the number of people killed or seriously injured across roads in Cornwall and Devon by the end of the decade.
Adrian Leisk, head of road safety at Devon and Cornwall Police and chair of Vision Zero South West, praised the camera enforcement on the A38.
He described the stretch of road as “very challenging”, noting that local residents had campaigned for changes to be made to make it safer.
Average speed schemes throughout the two counties have seen a 99 per cent compliance rate, with almost all motorists driving or riding in a “safe and respectful way”.
Experts have praised the reduction in accidents along the A38 following the start of a speed camera enforcement operation
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GETTY
However, Mr Leisk continued, saying: “We mustn’t forget that the figures quoted here are not just numbers. These are people’s lives turned upside down by unimaginable tragedy and trauma.
“Our officers and emergency service partners see first-hand the devastation that is caused by road traffic collisions and that is why we are so passionate about this cause.”
Over the last three years, Devon and Cornwall have seen a year-on-year decrease in the number of people killed and seriously injured on roads.
In 2022, 790 incidents involving a death or serious injury were seen on the A38 through Devon and Cornwall, with this falling to 754 in 2023 and 677 the following year.
The Jenoptik speed camera is installed along the A38 in Devon and Cornwall
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VISION ZERO SOUTH WEST
The CCTV detection vans can see offences from up to 1,000 metres away, with numerous cameras around the vehicle giving police a 360-degree view.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “Vision Zero South West isn’t just about speed cameras. Our partnership funds some incredibly innovative and, in some cases, world-leading projects.
“We have pioneered the use of AI technology to prevent seatbelt and mobile phone offences, we support IMPACT, which conducts groundbreaking research into post-collision care, and we help educate young people across the region to make future road users the safest they can be.”
Money raised from speeding fines in the two counties goes directly to the central government, although some surplus funds are returned to Vision Zero South West to improve road safety.
AI speed cameras have become more common around the UK in recent years | TRANSPORT FOR GREATER MANCHESTERJames Millidge, Chair of the local road safety group Safe38, said the cameras had been “incredibly effective and consistent”.
He added: “We can’t emphasise enough how positive this data is. It demonstrates unequivocally these safety measures have saved lives and improved people’s livelihoods.
“We have often been told (without any evidence) the cameras have made the road less safe, but nothing can be further from the truth.
“We know collisions do still occur, but when they do a lot of them are less severe than they might otherwise have been due to reduced speeds.”
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