Over 4,000 drivers caught speeding on A449 last year

Police say speed data has also shown that drivers are now going 5mph slower than before. There have been a total of 4,144 viable speeding offences on the A449 from Tuesday, November 1 2022 to Thursday, October 31. This compares to 6,891 viable speeding[1] offences during the first 12 months of the A449 fixed average speed cameras being in operation.

The fixed average speed cameras have been in operation on the A449 in Worcestershire since November 2021. In the last two years since the cameras went live, there has been one reported crash, which was not speed-related. A spokesperson for the West Mercia Police Road Safety Team said: "We regularly collect speed data to measure the effectiveness of the cameras and this has shown a positive effect on driver behaviour.

"The 85th percentile which is the industry standard of speed measurement for enforcement purposes shows a 5mph reduction in speed in the busiest stretch of the enforcement zone, which is from Ombersley to Crossway Green. "This has reduced from 55mph to 50mph northbound and 54mph to 49mph southbound." West Mercia Police Road Safety Team urged drivers to remain aware of the speed limit on the road going forward.

A spokesperson said: "We will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of this scheme as well as working with our partners to identify ways to maintain the safety of the road, to ensure we keep communities safe and protect people from harm. "We urge all motorists to help us by driving or riding safely, complying with the speed limit and sharing the road responsibly." The project is a partnership between West Mercia Police, Worcestershire County Council and speed technology firm Jenoptik and was made possible through funding from West Mercia Police and the Crime Commissioner Road Safety Fund.

The cameras differ from traditional 'spot speed' cameras by monitoring a vehicle's average speed over a stretch of road rather than at a single, fixed location.

Drivers are less likely to brake suddenly for a camera and are more likely to keep their speed down over a longer period, throughout the monitored zone.

References

1. ^ 6,891 viable speeding (www.worcesternews.co.uk)