Two major Plymouth roads to get new ‘speed on green’ cameras

New safety cameras in one of the city’s busiest streets will also be able to catch red-light jumpers as well as speeding motorists. Earlier this month Plymouth City Council confirmed Outland Road^[1] would endure closed lanes inbound and outbound to allow for safety camera installation works to be carried out.

This followed news published by PlymouthLive in May this year that Vision Zero South West (VZSW), in collaboration with local authorities across the two counties and National Highways, was beginning to invest in updating some of the ageing static speed and red light cameras across Devon and Cornwall, with a number of sites in Plymouth being amongst the first.

At that time a spokesperson for the VZSW said the organisation recognised camera systems were not always popular, but were “sometimes necessary to improve road speed and red light compliance.

“The historic cameras that detected red light offences use old technology that required induction loops in the road surface. It was evident that repeated repairs were needed as heavy vehicles broke the sensitive induction loops over time and they were also often damaged consequent to ongoing road maintenance regimes.

“Repairs and replacement demanded road surface replacement which is expensive and also causes dislocation of local traffic and frustration to communities during the roadworks.”

PlymouthLive has been told that Plymouth City Council^[2] requested two parts of Outland Road – near the St Erth Road junction by the Morrison’s supermarket, and near the Segrave Road junction, close to Home Park – were among those which were to be upgraded.

A spokesperson for VZSW said the aging Outland Road/St Erth Road Gatso wet-film camera would be removed at the council’s request and replaced with a “speed on green” camera.

This more modern camera will be able to catch people speeding through the lights but also motorists who jump red lights as they head into the city. Cameras facing the other way will be able to catch motorists who exceed the speed limit as they head north towards Crownhill^[3].

Similarly the Outland Road/Segrave Road Gatso wet-film camera, which has sat near the footbridge next Devonport^[4] High School for Girls, will also be moved closer to the junction and again have a “speed on green” capability as well catch speedsters.

The spokesperson has added that another old speed camera on Crownhill Road, by the Transit Way entrance to the Tesco^[5] store, is being replaced with a “speed on green” and speed camera at the council’s request.

They explained: “Some of these Gatso cameras are over a decade old and used wet-film. Obviously these were not always working but they are being replaced by digital cameras which have dual capability.

The spokesperson added: “VZSW objective is to prevent persons killed or seriously injured on our roads. It is recognised driving at excess speed and jumping through red lights is a key factor in causing collisions and aggravating injury and this is avoidable.

“The number of camera systems that detect red light and speed offences in Devon and Cornwall is low however I would remind any motorist tempted to jump a red light system that any member of the community could capture the incident on dashcam and police will deal with these incidents when reported to Operation Snap. Additionally police officers have reported 1,661 drivers having witnessed a red light offence in the last five years.

“VZSW ask all motorists to keep to the speed limits and obey the traffic lights which will help to make our roads a safer place.”

“We are aware speed enforcement draws criticism from some drivers however it is a fact that speed is major contributory factor in fatal and serious road traffic collisions. Driving or riding too fast gives you less time to react and greatly increases the severity of injuries when a collision occurs.

“Speed limits are set for everyone’s safety, and we must all be mindful that they are the absolute maximum at which you should travel. Every time you drive in excess of the speed limit or the prevailing road conditions, you increase your risk of being involved in a collision. The greater the speed the greater the force which then increases the risk of someone being killed or seriously injured.

“Our message to all road users would be for everyone to take personal responsibility for road safety. Simply put if everyone stopped speeding then more people would live.”

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