Cameras keep speed in check

Speed cameras on one of Newark’s busiest roads are doing their job of slowing drivers down and reducing accidents, say police.

The four cameras on London Road between Newark and Balderton captured 2,222 speeding offences in the first 18 months of operation — an average of about four per day.

Police say that is a comparatively low number.

The head of Nottinghamshire’s roads policing unit, Chief Inspector Andy Charlton, said: “It isn’t a particularly high volume site in terms of offenders being caught compared with other sites in the city and county.”

He said it showed most drivers, many of whom use the road on a regular basis, were respecting the 30mph speed limit.

“We are pleased that it’s not catching a lot of offenders. It is doing exactly what it’s meant to do, which is getting people to slow down,” he said.

Chief Inspector Charlton said there had been fewer accidents on the road as a result.

He said most of those caught speeding were not driving at very high speeds, shown by the number who chose to take a speed awareness course.

Of 1,822 resolved cases, just over half the offenders completed a speed awareness course.

The course, which offenders have to pay for, is offered when drivers are caught within a certain threshold over the speed limit. It replaces a fine and points on their licence.

About 40% were ineligible for the course because they were above the threshold and so accepted a fine and points.

Fewer than 10% of those dealt with were driving so fast that they had to appear before a magistrates’ court, which can impose higher fines and more points.

Figures for the London Road cameras were obtained after a request to Nottinghamshire Police by the Advertiser through the Freedom of Information Act.

The chairman of Balderton Safer Neighbourhood Group, parish councillor Mr Walter Hurst, thought interactive speed signs worked better than cameras in slowing motorists down.

He said: “The simple truth is that a camera will tell me next week when I get the letter in the post that I went too fast today.

“An interactive sign will tell me right now that I’m going to fast and I need to slow down.”

The cameras went live in November 2010 and were installed because of a higher-than-average number of accidents on London Road.

They are to be reviewed at the end of next year, when a decision will be made whether to retain them or move them.