The ‘Joint Working Agreement’ means it will be easier to install new cameras to catch culprits
The ‘Joint Working Agreement’ means it will be easier to install new cameras to catch culprits
A five-step deal has been agreed to address the scourge of speeding on West Midlands roads.
BirminghamLive has campaigned in recent years after a spate of pedestrian and cylist deaths on the roads of Birmingham and the Black Country.
Now, a ‘Joint Working Agreement’ will streamline the process for installing fresh speed cameras and ensure a unified approach to enforcement throughout the area.
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This pact, forged by West Midlands Police, seven local councils, the Police and Crime Commissioner, along with the West Midlands Combined Authority, is set to bolster efforts to slash road deaths and serious injuries by half come 2030, with an ambitious target of zero fatalities by 2040.
As a result of this collaboration, the West Midlands can look forward to:.
• Strategically placing new cameras at high-risk locations to prevent deadly accidents or severe injuries.
• Enhanced maintenance of existing cameras for better performance.
• Optimisation of current camera assets for traffic monitoring.
• Implementation of advanced camera technologies like ‘spot cameras’ that effortlessly snap pictures of speedy cars, alongside red-light offence capturing devices.
• Escalation in fines leading to more offenders attending speed awareness programmes, thereby improving adherence to speed limits.
Members of the WMCA’s Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny Committee will delve into the details of the agreement on May 6.
Reflecting on the critical need for such steps, Mayor Richard Parker commented: “It’s a tragedy that so many lives are lost on our roads each year – the impact on victims’ families is truly heartbreaking.
“Unfortunately, speeding and dangerous driving is blighting our region which is why we are cracking down on those who are determined to use our streets as a racetrack.
“By working together in this way, we can bring more offenders to justice while protecting responsible road users from this scourge.”
West Midlands Road Safety Commissioner, Mat MacDonald, stated: “Average Speed Enforcement is a critical tool in getting the most dangerous drivers off the roads and fostering a better culture of safe and respectful behaviour behind the wheel.”