Raising limits, cutting casualties
Transport for London has announced that a 7.5 mile stretch of the A13 is to be covered by average speed cameras – though at the same time the speed limit will actually rise from 40 mph to 50 mph.
TfL says nearly 500 collisions, including three fatal accidents, were recorded on this stretch of road between 2006 and 2008; half as a result of speeding.
Commenting on the move, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said:
“This is exactly the right way to target road safety: take specific action to target a specific problem. Average speed cameras are already a familiar feature in road works and they have the advantage of smoothing traffic flow rather than creating the stop/start sort of driving often associated with fixed cameras. The fact that the speed limit is actually going to be increased is an acknowledgement of this.”