Initial findings after 12 months of a 21 month trial in Birmingham and Solihull show big speed reductions across the nine sites they were re-introduced at. Across all the camera sites average speeds have fallen by more than 14%, with one site seeing a 20% reduction.
The cameras were installed and operational in August 2016, three years since obsolete wet film devices were last used locally.
Project partners from Birmingham City Council (BCC), Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC), West Midlands Police (WMP) and the Police and Crime Commissioner have decided to adopt a system using average speed cameras because historically compliance with speed limits is far better than with mobile or fixed-point cameras.
The new cameras detect vehicles through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and calculate their average speed by measuring the time taken to travel between defined points of a known distance apart. A clear signing strategy is used to inform drivers that they are entering an average speed control zone.
Cllr Stewart Stacey, Cabinet Member for Transport and Roads at Birmingham City Council, said:
“These cameras are not about making money, but about encouraging motorists to think about and change their behaviour on the roads, to make them safer for all who use them. These figures for the first 12 months are extremely encouraging as they show that motorists are taking notice and, crucially, modifying the way they drive.
“There is no excuse for speeding and if you drive inconsiderately then you can rightly expect to receive a penalty notice. But in an ideal world, no one would be receiving penalty notices because everyone would be driving within the legal speed limit.”
Cllr Ted Richards OBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways, at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, added:
“The impact of the average speed cameras in Solihull continues to be monitored in accordance with our partnership agreement with Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police. The initial data shows that there have been reductions in average speeds at our sites in Solihull. The speed reductions along the Stratford Road, in Hockley Heath, are particularly pleasing.
“Although the pilot scheme is due to run for five years, we will carry out a more formal review towards the end of 2018. By that time we will be able to make a better informed decision on the future of this type of road safety technology and the possibility of expanding its coverage of the Borough’s roads.”
Commenting on the initial findings of the trial, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, said:
“The initial findings from the trial are very encouraging and are making Birmingham and Solihull’s roads safer.
“When elected I promised that I would improve road safety and do all I could to reduce the number of injuries and deaths on our roads. Speed is one of the biggest causes of deaths on the road and one of the main issues that local people raise with me on a daily basis.
“Birmingham and Solihull have installed cameras and the police are supporting them by processing and enforcing the fines. This shows that we are on the side of the overwhelming majority of motorists who drive safely and sensibly.
“I am looking forward to working with other councils across the West Midlands to roll out the scheme further.”
The cameras located across Birmingham and Solihull and will be operational for a term of five years. There will be a 21-month evaluation phase to assess the effectiveness of the cameras, equipment and the overall system. The initial pilot at these routes will do much to help inform the wider efforts to make the region’s roads as safe as they can possibly be.
The routes chosen have been based on the following criteria:
– There is a history of collisions and casualties at the camera site zone.
– Speed surveys indicate that speeding vehicles is an issue.
– There is no realistic and appropriate engineering solution that can be installed at the location to reduce collisions and vehicles exceeding the speed limit.
Percentage reductions in speed across camera sites:
|
Site |
Speed Reduction (%) |
|
A38 Bristol Road Site 928 |
-19.10 |
|
A456 Hagley Road Site 924 |
-16.36 |
|
A456 Hagley Road Site 925 |
-20.05 |
|
A45 Coventry Road Site 926 |
-15.45 |
|
A45 Coventry Road Site 927 |
N/A |
|
A4540 New John Street Site 178 |
-18.77 |
|
A4540 New John Street Site 179 |
-16.71 |
|
A34 Newtown Row Site 181 |
-15.58 |
|
B4114 Bradford Road Site 334 |
-15.79 |
|
B4114 Bradford Road Site 336 |
N/A |
|
B425 Lode Lane Site 326 |
-2.68 |
|
B425 Lode Lane Site 327 |
-3.22 |
|
A3400 Stratford Road Site 2313 |
-13.42 |
|
A3400 Stratford Road Site 2314 |
-17.40 |
The overall average reduction in speed at all sites is -14.54%.
*N/A refers to sites where comparisons were unable to be made
Tickets issued from Aug 16 to end of Sept 17:
928 – A38 Bristol Road between Priory Road and Speedwell Road – 6166
929 – A38 Bristol Road between Speedwell Road and Priory Road – 1215
924 – A456 Hagley Road approaching Norfolk Road (out of city) – 1094
925 – A456 Hagley Road approaching Rotton Park Road (into City) – 895
926 – A45 Coventry Road between Berkley Road and Rowland Road/Steyning Road (inbound) – 1222
927 – A45 Coventry Road between Berkley Road and Rowland Road/Steyning Road (outbound) – 230
178 – A4540 New John St West approaching Hospital St (towards A38) – 4565
179 – A4540 New John St West towards Hockley Circus – 2476
181 – A34 Newtown Row near New John St West (out of city) – 2500
326 – B425 Lode Lane North of Moat Lane (Northbound) – 394
327 – B425 Lode Lane Near Bramcote Lane – 619
334 – B4114 Bradford Road between Old Croft Lane and Chester Road – 1874
336 – B4114 Bradford Road Chester Road and Old Croft Lane – 1522
2313 – A3400 Stratford Road between School Road and Avenue Albert – 813
2314 – A3400 Stratford Road between Avenue Albert and School Road – 513
