Greater Manchester is enhancing road safety with new average speed cameras following a rise in fatalities and serious injuries.
- The latest speed cameras will cover 25 routes, leveraging ANPR technology to monitor vehicle speed.
- Superintendent Gareth Parkin highlights speeding as a major concern, alongside other dangerous driving behaviours.
- The cameras serve a singular purpose of speed monitoring, approved only by the Home Office.
- Additional offences detected through the system can still result in further actions by the police.
In an effort to bolster road safety, Greater Manchester is deploying average speed cameras across 25 routes. This initiative follows a troubling two-year period where close to 600 individuals lost their lives or sustained serious injuries due to road accidents. These cameras utilise advanced Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to gauge the time taken by vehicles between two points, effectively calculating their average speed.
Upon detection of excessive speed, the system promptly sends the information to Greater Manchester Police (GMP). Superintendent Gareth Parkin underscores the significance of this upgrade, emphasising its role in mitigating the prevalent issue of speeding. He categorises speeding under the ‘fatal four’, which also includes driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, mobile phone usage while driving, and neglecting seat belt use.
The cameras hold approval from the Home Office strictly for speed enforcement, with no capability for automatic detection of other offences like mobile phone usage or seat belt non-compliance. However, imagery from the speed cameras, when reviewed by police, may reveal other violations, potentially leading to educational courses or fixed penalties for drivers.
In conjunction with Transport for Greater Manchester, the GMP aspires to eliminate reckless and anti-social driving behavior. While the cameras are restricted to monitoring speed, their role in encouraging safer driving practices is unequivocal. This collaboration marks a significant step towards realising the vision of entirely safe roads in the region.
The installation of average speed cameras across Greater Manchester marks a decisive move towards enhancing regional road safety.
