Speed technology set for tests?

Drivers in Yorkshire could be amongst the first in the country to be monitored by average speed cameras.

The technology uses a new type of speed camera that works in pairs in order to calculate a vehicle’s average speed over a distance of up to 6 miles.

Steve Betts, a spokesman for the South Yorkshire safety camera partnership said that routes have been considered and the idea has been put forward as a proposal.

Average speed cameras

Average speed cameras are currently in use on motorways during road works, and following these trials the government is expected to use the new technology as a replacement for Gatso and Truvelo cameras, which measure speed over only a short distance.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The stretches of motorway currently covered by average speed cameras are arguably the only bits of road in Britain where every vehicle is driving at, or below, the limit.”

“No traffic camera system is a panacea, but average speed cameras will deliver environmental and safety gains – particularly in residential areas.”

Using cameras to measure the average speed travelled over a distance is much more effective than single standing cameras – simply because drivers cannot speed up between cameras. Average speed cameras are also better than road humps. Road humps are often only cushions and larger vehicles can go over them far faster than small vehicles, which encourages some people to buy bigger off-road vehicles.

Green motoring

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Twenty seven years on, we continue to offer home insurance, cycle insurance, travel insurance and breakdown cover while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.