There has been a significant improvement in driver behaviour and speed limit compliance since Scotland’s first urban Average Speed Camera (ASC) system went live on Old Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh one year ago today.
This £113,000 system was introduced to improve road safety on the route, reduce the number of collisions and encourage motorists to drive within the speed limit.
Since ASC went live on Old Dalkeith Road there are on average only two offences recorded per day. This is a significant improvement in driver behaviour, considering three in every five vehicles were speeding prior to the installation of ASC.
In addition, during the last year there have been no injury collisions reported on Old Dalkeith Road within the area covered by the Average Speed Camera system.
East Safety Camera Unit Manager Inspector Vincent Fisher said, “Average Speed Camera systems have a proven record in reducing speeding and improving road safety. It was hoped the first installation of such a system in an urban environment would deliver the same results.”It’s clear after the first full year of operation the system has encouraged a significant change in driver behaviour and I would like to personally thank all the drivers who use this route for considering their driving manner and helping to make the road much safer.
“Prior to the cameras being installed, less than 40% of the 15,000 vehicles a day which use the road were adhering to the speed limit. We now find that, on average, speeding offenders have been reduced to only two per day and in the last year nobody has been injured on the section of Old Dalkeith Road covered by the system.”
Head of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme, Steven Feeney said: “These findings add to the compelling evidence that average speed cameras help to transform driver behaviour.
“This encouraging improvement in speed limit compliance along this section of Old Dalkeith Road is a step towards achieving safer road travel, reducing the number of serious injuries and moving towards an ultimate vision of zero fatalities on our road network.”
City of Edinburgh Council Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Macinnes, said, “These figures are extremely encouraging and demonstrate a real change in driver behaviour as a result of the Average Speed Camera system on Old Dalkeith Road.
“Road safety is critically important to us and we will continue to work with Police Scotland’s Safety Camera Unit and the Scottish Safety Camera Programme to monitor the impact of Average Speed Camera systems and how they can reduce the number of injuries on our roads.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
