Tfl To Trial Average Speed Camera's On A13

[balli hi]

TfL to trial average speed cameras on A13

18 January 2010

This system was supposed to go live in january 09 , according to the London Taxi Drivers Association , however the first set of camera's are starting to be installed now and the system should go live around june or july .

If it is deemed to be a success , my understanding is that it will be rolled out across the country

- Notorious A13 blackspot is the first place in UK where average speed cameras will enforce speed limit along a major urban road

Once operational, the new cameras should significantly reduce collision-related traffic congestion in the local area

Ben Plowden, Director of Integrated Programmes at TfL

- New system expected to halve the number of people killed or seriously injured along the road and improve traffic flow when it goes live this summer.

Work begins today to install average speed cameras on a notorious stretch of road in east London.

Special cameras are being trialled that will mean the A13 is the first place in the country where average speed cameras can enforce the limit on a road with multiple entrance and exit points.

Transport for London (TfL) is installing the new cameras between Canning Town and the Goresbrook Interchange as the collision rate on that part of the A13 is almost a fifth higher than is typical of major roads in London.

Huge potential

Nearly 500 collisions, including three fatal and 34 serious accidents, were recorded on the stretch of road between 2006 and 2008.

Half those collisions were caused by speeding.

Ben Plowden, Director of Integrated Programmes at TfL, said: 'Traditional safety cameras are very effective at reducing the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on London's roads, cutting casualties by an average of 50 per cent at the sites where they are installed.

'However, roads such as this 12km stretch of the A13, which has a high level of speed-related collisions, have huge potential to benefit from the new average speed camera systems.

A total of 84 cameras

'Once operational, the new cameras on the A13 will cut the high casualty rate along the road, and should significantly reduce collision-related traffic congestion in the local area.'

A total of 84 cameras, based at 37 locations, will monitor the speed of vehicles as they drive along part or all of the Canning Town to Goresbrook Interchange section of the A13.

If the average speed for a vehicle along the stretch of the road they drive along is above the speed limit for the location, the owner of the car will be issued with a Notice of Intended Prosecution.

The system will be fully operational by this summer.

Goes liveWhile the camera system is being installed and tested, signs will be placed along the A13 informing drivers that the average speed camera system is not currently enforcing.

However, the existing GATSO speed cameras along the stretch of road will continue to enforce the speed limit until the new system goes live.

The number of people killed or seriously injured on London's roads has fallen by 43 per cent since the mid to late 1990s.

[Raistlin]

The number of people killed or seriously injured on London's roads has fallen by 43 per cent since the mid to late 1990s.

Which is excellent news B)

[balli hi]

I have read that the average speed camera system can be fooled if for example a driver lane hops between camera points , i.e you pass a camera on the inside lane then before you pass the next point your on the outside lane and before the next point you change to the middle , the camera's are reliant on people in general sticking to one lane between points , if this is true then people lane hopping can and will probably cause accidents by lane hopping in order to avoid a speeding fine and customary 3 points , in the interests of safety where these camera's are deployed i think the best thing we can do is observe the speed limits and try our best to stick to them .

[Phoenix999]

.....the average speed camera system can be fooled if for example a driver lane hops between camera points ....

Tony that was true once but no longer.... I am quite sure that the camera software overcame that problem a short while back. This was raised once where the same cameras operate on the M25 south of the Dartford Crossing.... this was covered in various press issues and the Highways Agency confirmed that lane hopping no longer fools the cameras

Ah well... Big Brother rules elsewhere now :(

[PaulT]

Half those collisions were caused by speeding.

How would they know this? If it said drivers in 50% of accidents were speeding, that would be different.

Still, we will now find out if average speed cameras help to reduce accidents on a particular stretch of road, or whether the road is inherently dangerous even below the speed limit.

Paul.

[Jamesbelfast]

Half those collisions were caused by speeding.

How would they know this? If it said drivers in 50% of accidents were speeding, that would be different.

Still, we will now find out if average speed cameras help to reduce accidents on a particular stretch of road, or whether the road is inherently dangerous even below the speed limit.

Paul.

Traffic statistics can at some times be misleading if read the wrong way. The original post mentioned half the "collisions" and not "accidents". For instance one speeding driver could be responsible for more than one vehicle collision ( a very common occurence).

Also the term speeding in itself can be both misleading and wrongly interpreted. Driving at speed beyond that appropriate for the condiitions would make much more sense.

Also what makes a road inherently dangerous in itself?:)

[hertsnminds]

Different drivers react in different ways to traffic calming measures. How many people have you seen speed along a stretch of road and jam the anchors on when they see a Gastso? How many people driving at (or below) the speed limit have you seen slow down for any camera? If you have to keep at or below a certain speed and do not have cruise control how much more time do you spend looking at the speedo and less time looking at the road and traffic around you?

If someone is driving an uninsured, untaxed or stolen vehicle the cameras will not stop them speeding, they could also raise the rate of vehicle identity crime (e.g. stealing number plates etc).

I am not saying these measures have no effect but as with everything else they have some negative effects as well as positive.