More signs that Suffolk motorists are getting the message on speed limits
Average speed cameras on the A12 between East Bergholt and Stratford St Mary. Picture: GREGG BROWN - Credit: Gregg Brown
There is further evidence that drivers in Suffolk are taking more notice of the region’s speed limits after figures showed that the number caught on the A12 has fallen by near two thirds over the last year.
Tim Passmore. Picture: EMMA BRENNAN - Credit: Archant
During the first three months of 2016 3,055 drivers were caught exceeding the speed limit by average speed cameras on the A12 between Stratford St Mary and East Bergholt. Between January and March this year the figure was 1,273.
The fall was welcomed by Suffolk Police and Commissioner Tim Passmore who has regularly spoken of his concern about the number of people caught speeding on the county’s roads.
The figures for the A12 follow a similar pattern to those on the A14 Orwell Bridge which has seen the number of motorists caught speeding falling most months since the cameras were switched on last July.
The cameras on the A12 were switched on in August 2015 in a bid to reduce the number of accidents on a notorious stretch of the road on the Suffolk/Essex border.
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During the whole of 2016 there were 10,675 vehicles caught speeding on that stretch of the road. There were nearly three times as many caught speeding on the southbound carriageway than the northbound road – 7,929 to 2,746.
Mr Passmore said: “I really hope people are getting the message. Excessive speed is one of the ‘fatal four’ factors that lead to serious road accidents and we have to do what we can to reduce the number of people breaking these limits.
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“Knowing what the A12 is like at that point, it really is quite worrying that so many people were caught exceeding the 70mph limit there last year.”
He suspected that many of those caught speeding were unfamiliar with the road – heading to the region during the summer months.
But he hoped the lower number of people caught speeding so far this year would continue over the rest of the year.
On the Orwell Bridge the number of people caught speeding fell every month from when they were introduced in July last year to January – but have been creeping up again in February and March.
Last month 374 vehicles were caught exceeding the 60mph speed limit on the bridge and had offences processed by police.
