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19
Aug
University carries out study into introduction of speed cameras in North Yorkshire
A university has been appointed to undertake a study into whether fixed speed cameras should be introduced across North Yorkshire.
According to a freedom of information response from the Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning, which is part of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Newcastle University has been commissioned to carry out the study.
The research will look into whether the introduction of fixed speed cameras would “be effective in reducing collisions in York and North Yorkshire”.
It will also examine whether the implementation of cameras can be achieved through a "sustainable self-financing funding model" which can cover operational costs and be used to invest in other casualty reduction schemes.
The county's first fixed speed camera was introduced at Sherburn this year — and promptly vandalised.
It was installed after Tim Forber, chief constable at North Yorkshire Police, said it was time to consider having speed cameras on some roads in the county.
Tim Forber, chief constable of North Yorkshire Police.
According to the freedom of information response, the study is expected to be completed this month.
It added:
The study’s findings and recommendations will be reviewed by the strategic York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership in the autumn, as well as through the governance structures of individual road safety partners.
Once a collective decision has been reached regarding the adoption of a fixed and/or average speed camera enforcement approach in York and North Yorkshire, the study will be published.
Mr Forber is a vocal supporter of the introduction of speed cameras in the county.
In May, he said North Yorkshire was the only county he had worked in as a police officer where no fixed cameras were in place.
Mr Forber added that introducing the technology would help to reduce deaths on North Yorkshire’s road network.
He said:
This is the only county I have worked in in nearly 30 years as a police officer where we don’t have a fixed speed camera network.
Given the fact that we have such an extensive and expensive strategic road network, I think it is absolutely time to consider that. From my part, that’s the opinion I give through the road safety partnership up to the highways authority.
I think that speed camera vans we use to good effect, particularly in some of our rural villages. But I do think on our strategic road network we need to employ technology like average speed cameras and fixed speed cameras to make sure there is a permanence reduction in speed in some of these areas.
Currently, police use mobile speed camera vans to monitor speeding motorists on the county’s roads.
North Yorkshire Police has 12 mobile speed vans which it uses across the county.
Meanwhile, officers are still investigating vandalism to the first ever fixed speed camera in the county on the A64 Sherburn High Street.
The force said both the camera and the lamp post it was based on were “deliberately vandalised” hours after it was installed on Monday, June 30.
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