New average speed cameras are being installed in Salford as part of an ongoing effort to make the roads safer.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is working in partnership with Salford to replace the existing speed cameras on A6 Broad Street and on the A580 East Lancashire Road between Moorside Road and Worsley Road with a new average speed system.
The new cameras will check how long it takes for a vehicle to travel between two points on the road using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology and an image is captured if the vehicle is travelling excessively over the speed limit which will be used by Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
The routes have been analysed to ensure the cameras are placed at optimal locations to maintain road safety by lowering speeds.
Councillor Mike McCusker, Lead Member for Planning, Transport and Sustainable Development at Salford City Council, said: “The overall aim of the average speed cameras is to make our city’s roads safer.
“We want to reduce the number of people killed and injured on our roads and targeting speeding drivers is a way to do this.
“Drivers who stick to the speed limits do not need to worry, it is only those who speed in Salford who will be fined.”
Dame Sarah Storey, Greater Manchester’s Active Travel Commissioner, said: “As a city-region we were working to adopt Vision Zero, which aims to eliminate all deaths and life-changing injuries on our roads.
“Speeding is a cause in most fatal collisions, and in Greater Manchester 598 people have been needlessly killed or seriously injured between 2020 and 2022 as a result of speeding.
“Having an upgraded safety camera network that can measure spot speed and average speed will play a vital role in helping us realise our Vision Zero ambitions by reducing the number of people killed or suffering life-changing injuries to zero, and to make our roads safer for everyone who uses them.”
The new cameras are part of a Greater Manchester wide scheme across 25 sites.
Although they are not capable of automatically detecting any other offences such us using a mobile phone while driving, or not wearing a seat belt, if GMP identify any other offences taking place when reviewing the speeding offence imagery, then the matter will be reviewed to see whether a speed awareness course or fixed penalty notice would still be appropriate or if further action needs to be taken.
The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three points on the driver’s licence. However, this could be higher if the driver is significantly over the speed limit. They can even get a court summons.
In other circumstances, if the driver meets certain criteria they may be offered a speed awareness course as alternative to prosecution.
