New average speed camera locations revealed for Lancashire including one in the Ribble Valley

The Safer Road Fund programme is a £7.9m investment to reduce casualties on routes identified by the Department for Transport as the county’s most dangerous A-roads.

Where

The final phase of work to install cameras on the A682 in the Ribble Valley from Gisburn to the boundary with North Yorkshire at Long Preston is due soon.

Good progress is already being made, with the cameras now in place along the A581 from Rufford to Euxton. Preparations are also underway on the A588 from Lancaster to Skippool.

Average speed cameras are also due to be installed on the A683 in Lancaster from Junction 34 of the M6 motorway to Kirkby Lonsdale, followed by the A6 in Lancaster between the city centre and J33 of the M6 motorway.

Impact

A period of testing will be needed after the cameras are installed before they can be made operational and begin being used by the police to enforce speed limits.

Average speed cameras work by reading the number plate of passing vehicles and calculating a driver's average speed over a known length of road within the same speed limit. This results in drivers maintaining a steady average speed rather than just slowing down when they see a traditional fixed or spot speed camera.

There are currently eight routes already covered by average speed camera enforcement systems in Lancashire. Initial evaluation shows there’s been a reduction in collisions of up to 86% on these routes.

Danger

County Coun. Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “These routes have a record of deaths and injuries where excess speed was a factor, and people who live near these roads worry about when the next serious incident will happen, and whether they or their family and friends could be affected.

“We've already done a lot of work to make the five routes in Lancashire safer as part of the Safer Roads Programme, such as installing LED cats eyes, high reflectivity road markings, signs and crash barriers.”

Speed limit

The speed limit will also be reduced along some sections of the five routes, following public consultation, and the proposals being agreed by Lancashire County Council's cabinet in 2022.