This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Scotland’s first ‘average speed’ safety camera
14/07/2005
Scotland's first 'average speed' safety camera system
was launched today, the latest component in the integrated
road safety strategy for the A77 trunk road.
The new generation digital camera system is one of a
range of measures, coordinated through the A77 Safety
Group, designed to help cut the unacceptably high number of
deaths and serious injuries occurring on the road.
The 12-month SPECS pilot project will operate along a
46km route between Bogend Toll, north of Ayr and Ardwell,
south of Girvan, where 20 deaths and 95 serious injuries
have occurred between January 2000 and December 2004.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said:
"Too many people have lost their lives or loved ones as
a result of road accidents on the A77. That's why we are
determined to do all we can to improve road safety along
this stretch of road and prevent more deaths and serious
injuries.
"The Executive has already invested considerable
resources in constructing seven road improvement schemes
south of Ayr and the new M77 north of Kilmarnock. The A77
Safety Group has also committed a great deal towards
improving safety on the route. And we are all committed to
doing more.
"I am convinced that the installation of SPECS - the
first cameras of this kind in Scotland - along this route
can play an important part in our overall strategy to
improve road safety on the A77 and will encourage better
driving right along the route.
"Let no one be in doubt - excessive speed is the cause
of too many injuries and deaths on our roads. And if we can
use new technology to deter drivers from risking their own
lives and the lives of others, then I believe that is the
right approach."
Gladys Cadden, project manager for the Strathclyde
Safety Camera Partnership and key member of the A77 Safety
Group, said:
"Excessive speed is frequently a significant factor in
crashes and has a huge impact on the severity of injuries
sustained. Public consultation, carried out in summer 2004
by the A77 Safety Group, showed strong demand for tackling
the problem of excessive speed on the road.
"With 49 safety camera warning signs now installed along
the route and a widespread publicity campaign, we aim to
make road users fully aware that the new system is now
operational and that, essentially, there is no excuse for
speeding."
The new system will be operated by Strathclyde Safety
Camera Partnership on behalf of the Scottish Executive,
supported by local authorities. SPECS enables a vehicle's
average speed to be measured between various points along
the route. It is the only digital safety camera system to
have received Home Office Type approval, and will be
operated on the A77 by the Strathclyde Safety Camera
Partnership.
Already used successfully south of the Border in
Nottingham, Northampton* and South Yorkshire, SPECS has
been shown to significantly reduce the number of road
deaths and serious accidents by deterring speeding and
helping to create a safer driving environment with smoother
traffic flow.
Further road safety measures underway on the A77 under
the auspices of the A77
Safety Group include a £20 million engineering
improvement programme, vehicle-activated warning signs,
police speed enforcement, education initiatives and driver
and community awareness campaigns.
The A77 SPECS 12-month pilot is funded by the
Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership and the Scottish
Executive Trunk Road Network Management Division, with a
total investment of £775,000.
Members of the A77 Safety Group include the Scottish
Executive, Strathclyde Police, South Ayrshire Council, West
Sound, Amey and the Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership.
Please visit
www.a77safetygroup.com
For further information on Strathclyde Safety Camera
Partnership, please visit
www.camerascutcrashes.com
For further information on SPECS, please visit
www.speedcheck.co.uk.